Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 5, 2025
Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus MRSA
Published on: February 9, 2011
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Eradication and Decolonization in Children Study (Part 1): Development of
Courtney M Moore1, Sarah E Wiehe1,2, Dustin O Lynch1
1Research Jam, Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Indianapolis, IN, United States.
Insights
Developing a toolkit for pediatric MRSA decolonization at home is crucial. The MEDiC kit addresses barriers like lack of instructions and proper tools, improving adherence for children with Staphylococcus aureus infections.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Public health interventions
- Human-centered design in healthcare
Background:
- Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) skin infections are common in children.
- Hospitalization and surgical incision and drainage (I&D) are often required.
- High rates of recurrent infections necessitate effective home decolonization and hygiene protocols.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a patient-centered toolkit (MEDiC kit) for home MRSA decolonization and hygiene.
- To address challenges faced by pediatric patients and families in completing prescribed protocols.
Main Methods:
- Human-centered design approach involving adolescents and parents.
- 4-hour group workshop to identify attitudes and barriers.
- Analysis of workshop audio and artifacts to inform toolkit creation.
Main Results:
- Identified barriers: lack of clear instructions, inadequate home tools, adverse event concerns, procedural control issues.
- Effective communication strategies include addressing bleach concerns, providing detailed rationale, and using video instructions.
- The MEDiC kit was designed to incorporate patient-driven language and visuals.
Conclusions:
- Direct patient and family engagement is key to understanding and supporting decolonization protocol implementation.
- Improved communication strategies enhance understanding and adherence to MRSA decolonization.
- The developed MEDiC kit provides a robust, visually supported resource for families.
Background:
Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) skin and soft tissue infections affect many healthy children. A significant number of these children are hospitalized and require surgical incision and drainage (I&D). Once sent home, these children and families are asked to complete burdensome home decolonization and hygiene procedures in an effort to prevent the high rate of recurrent infections.
Objective:
This component of the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Eradication and Decolonization in Children (MEDiC) study aimed to develop a toolkit to assist MEDiC study participants in completing MRSA decolonization and hygiene procedures at home (the MEDiC kit).
Methods:
In all, 5 adolescents (aged 10-18 years) who had undergone an I&D procedure for a skin infection and 11 parents of children who had undergone an I&D procedure for a skin infection were engaged in a 4-hour group workshop using a human-centered design approach. The topics covered in this workshop and analyzed for this paper were (1) attitudes about MRSA decolonization procedures and (2) barriers to the implementation of MRSA decolonization and hygiene procedures. The team analyzed the audio and artifacts created during the workshop and synthesized their findings to inform the creation of the MEDiC kit.
Results:
The workshop activities uncovered barriers to successful completion of the decolonization and hygiene procedures: lack of step-by-step instruction, lack of proper tools in the home, concerns about adverse events, lack of control over some aspects of the hygiene procedures, and general difficulty coordinating all the procedures. Many of these could be addressed as part of the MEDiC kit. In addition, the workshop revealed that effective communication about decolonization would have to address concerns about the effects of bleach, provide detailed information, give reasons for the specific decolonization and hygiene protocol steps, and include step-by-step instructions (preferably through video).
Conclusions:
Through direct engagement with patients and families, we were able to better understand how to support families in implementing MRSA decolonization and hygiene protocols. In addition, we were able to better understand how to communicate about MRSA decolonization and hygiene protocols. With this knowledge, we created a robust toolkit that uses patient-driven language and visuals to help support patients and families through the implementation of these protocols.
Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02127658; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02127658.
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