Preventing Bloodstream Infections by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of bacteria that have become resistant to many commonly used antibiotics. While it is a treatable infection, it is a significant public health issue. The California Department of Public Health requires hospitals to report the number of MRSA infections that occur.

S. aureus (commonly referred to as "staph") is a common type of bacteria that normally live on the skin or in the nasal passages of healthy people. Certain strains of the bacteria that resist the usual antibiotics given to fight staph infections are called MRSA.

An infection can occur when these get inside the body through a cut, sore, catheter or breathing tube. Such infections range from minor – such as a pimple – to serious, involving the heart, lungs, blood stream or bones.

A person who is already ill is at greater risk of getting a staph infection than a healthy person. This is particularly true of people who are sick enough to be admitted to a hospital.

At Cedars-Sinai, measures are in place throughout the medical center to prevent the spread of MRSA. These measures include:
• Hand washing by doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers before entering and upon leaving a patient's room and before examining a patient
• Encouraging visitors to patients to wash their hands frequently
• Covering all wounds with clean bandages and preventing contact with soiled ones
• Proper handling of personal items such as bedding, towels and other items to prevent the spread of infection
• Proper cleaning of equipment or use of disposable items

How MRSA Infections Are Tracked At Cedars-Sinai

The California Department of Health requires hospitals to report the number of MRSA infections that occur in a hospital per 1,000 patient days. (Every day a patient spends in the hospital is counted as one patient day. If two patients each spend a day in the hospital, it would be counted as two patient days.) 

This way of reporting the MRSA infection rate  allows Cedars-Sinai's rate to be compared in a way consistent with the reporting of other California hospitals. The chart below shows the number of MRSA infections that occurred at Cedars-Sinai per 1,000 patient days each year since 2005.

A lower number is better than a higher one.