Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 11, 2026
12:18
Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus MRSA
Published on: February 9, 2011
23.7K
Environmental Panels as a Proxy for Nursing Facility Patients With Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and
Marco Cassone1, Julia Mantey1, Mary Beth Perri2
1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor.
Summary
Environmental screening of high-touch surfaces in nursing facilities can effectively detect methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), offering a cost-effective surveillance alternative.
Area of Science:
- Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
- Microbiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Nursing facilities (NFs) often lack surveillance programs for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) due to resource limitations.
- High costs associated with traditional surveillance methods present a significant barrier for many NFs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effectiveness of environmental screening of high-touch surfaces as a surrogate for patient colonization.
- To develop a cost-effective surveillance strategy for MRSA and VRE in nursing facilities.
Main Methods:
- Compared MRSA and VRE culture data from high-touch surfaces in patient rooms across six NFs.
- Developed MRSA- and VRE-specific environmental panels based on performance in predicting patient colonization.
- Utilized molecular typing to confirm patient-environment isolate relationships.
Main Results:
- Validated MRSA panel: bed controls, nurse call button, bed rail, TV remote. Validated VRE panel: toilet seat, bed controls, bed rail, TV remote, top of side table.
- Environmental panels demonstrated high negative predictive values (MRSA: 89%-92%, VRE: 82%-84%) for patient colonization.
- Molecular typing confirmed strong clonal relationships between patient and environmental isolates (MRSA: 98%, VRE: 91%).
Conclusions:
- Environmental panels can serve as a proxy for patient colonization, aiding in decolonization strategies and transmission reduction.
- Targeted environmental screening is a viable and potentially cost-effective surveillance strategy for MRSA and VRE in NFs.
- This approach can improve awareness of pathogen burden and inform infection control practices in resource-limited settings.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:22Resistivity
4.6K
When a voltage is applied to a conductor, an electrical field is generated, and charges in the conductor feel the force due to the electrical field. The current density that results depends on the electrical field and the properties of the material. In some materials, including metals at a given temperature, the current density is approximately proportional to the electrical field. In these cases, the current density can be modeled as:
4.6K
01:19Resistance
6.0K
When a current moves through any conductor, the conductor causes some level of difficulty for the current to flow. The measure of that difficulty is known as the resistance of the material and is represented by R. Every material has its own resistance. In the case of conductors, heat is emitted whenever a current passes through them. Resistance depends on the resistivity of the material. Resistivity is a characteristic of the material used to fabricate electrical components, whereas the...
6.0K
01:16Equivalent Resistance
998
In circuit analysis, situations often arise where resistors are neither in series nor parallel configurations. To tackle such scenarios, three-terminal equivalent networks like the wye (Y) (Figure 1 (a)) or tee (T) and delta (Δ) (Figure 1 (b)) or pi (π) networks come into play. These networks offer versatile solutions and are frequently encountered in various applications, including three-phase electrical systems, electrical filters, and matching networks.
998
01:25Resistance and Conductance
527
A conductor's DC resistance at a given temperature is influenced by its resistivity, length, and cross-sectional area. Resistivity is an inherent property of the conductor material, with annealed copper serving as the international standard for measurement. For instance, the resistivity of hard-drawn aluminum at 20 degrees Celsius is 61% of the standard conductivity of annealed copper.
Various factors impact the resistance of a conductor. Spiraling in stranded conductors increases their...
Various factors impact the resistance of a conductor. Spiraling in stranded conductors increases their...
527
01:21Rolling Resistance
675
When a solid cylinder rolls steadily on a rigid surface, the normal force applied by the surface on the cylinder is perpendicular to the tangent at the contact point. However, since no materials are entirely rigid, the surface's reaction to the cylinder involves a range of normal pressures.
For instance, imagine a hard cylinder rolling on a comparatively soft surface. The cylinder's weight compresses the surface beneath it. As the cylinder moves, the material in front of it slows down due to...
For instance, imagine a hard cylinder rolling on a comparatively soft surface. The cylinder's weight compresses the surface beneath it. As the cylinder moves, the material in front of it slows down due to...
675
01:20Vascular Resistance
11.2K
Vascular resistance is a critical concept in understanding blood flow dynamics in the circulatory system. It refers to the resistance that blood encounters as it flows through the blood vessels. This resistance is a key factor in determining blood pressure and cardiac workload.
The primary determinants of vascular resistance are vessel diameter, blood viscosity, and vessel length. Among these, vessel diameter plays the most significant role due to the fourth power relationship described by...
The primary determinants of vascular resistance are vessel diameter, blood viscosity, and vessel length. Among these, vessel diameter plays the most significant role due to the fourth power relationship described by...
11.2K