The prevention of spread of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a spinal injuries centre

The National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC) is a tertiary referral centre. It accepts most of its patients from other hospitals in the UK and overseas. The severity of injury, the presence of a tracheostomy, urinary catheter and pressure sores predisposes this group of patients to colonisation or infection with Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The NSIC uses simple but strict protocols for hygiene, screening for MRSA, and source isolation of known or suspected MRSA carriers in single room accommodation to control the spread of MRSA in the centre. A retrospective search of microbiology and patient records revealed that in 4 years there had been 24 admissions with MRSA, with a total of 1421 isolation days. There was only one outbreak of MRSA. This involved three patients. Hygiene, screening of potential MRSA carriers together with single room isolation can limit the spread of MRSA.