Reservoirs of MRSA in the acute hospital setting: A systematic review
Rhonda D Griffiths
School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health and Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Penrith NSW
Ritin S Fernandez
School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Western Sydney, Sydney NSW
Elizabeth J Halcomb
School of Nursing and Midwifery and Family, Community Health Research Group (FaCH), College of Health and Science, University of Western Sydney, Sydney NSW
PP: 038 - 049
Abstract
The aim of this systematic review was to critically analyse the literature and present the best available evidence relating to the significance of environmental factors, including equipment, in the transmission of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to hospitalised patients.
Despite an extensive literature search only twenty studies that met the inclusion criteria were identified and analysed. There is evidence that the equipment and the inanimate environment are common reservoirs of MRSA, and that the rate of nosocommial transmission of the organism is influenced by occupancy rate and the design of clinical settings.
Keywords
methicillin resistant; methicillin resistant S. aureus; reservoirs; systematic review; clinical equipment; infection control
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