News: Quality improvement educational program linked to drop in hospital-onset MRSA bacteremia

An educational quality improvement program focused on evidence-based practices was associated with a 65% reduction in hospital-onset methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia events among the participating hospital units, according to a quality improvement study. In addition, it saw significant decreases in all-cause hospital-onset bacteremia (HOB) and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI).

A total of 94 hospitals completed the program, including 106 intensive care units (ICU) and 97 non-ICUs. The participating hospitals completed an 18-month implementation program which included 22 educational webinars and provided educational content. The two objectives were to cultivate a stronger safety culture and build unit-level capacity to carry out quality improvement activities as well as the adoption of evidence-based practices to interrupt MRSA transmission and prevent MRSA infection.

Compared with the baseline period, laboratory-identified MRSA HOB events decreased by 2.3 events per 10,000 patient-days during the implementation period for the combined ICU and non-ICU cohorts, representing a 65% reduction.

The implementation period was associated with significantly lower rates of MRSA-positive cultures from hospital day four or later and lower rates of all-cause HOB in both ICU and non-ICU settings. CLABSI events also reduced by 31%.

Over half of the observed decline in HOB rates per 10,000 patient-days between the baseline and implementation periods, across both ICU and non-ICU settings, was driven by reductions in MRSA, methicillin-susceptible S aureus, and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species.

"Participation in the program by ICU and non-ICU units was associated with significant improvements in their MRSA prevention practices, including the use of MRSA decolonization and active monitoring of the quality of environmental cleaning,″ the authors wrote. ″Although COVID complicated recruitment and implementation, the program was associated with reduced MRSA infections at a time when national MRSA infection rates recovered more slowly from pandemic-related increases."

Editor’s note: To read the full study, click here. To read additional coverage from Medscape, click here.