Recommendations
Table 1. Recommendations to Prevent MRSA
Essential Practices: should be adopted by all acute-care hospitals unless a
clear and compelling rationale for an alternative approach is present
1. Implement a MRSA monitoring program. (L)
2. Conduct a MRSA risk assessment. (L)
3. Promote compliance with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) or World Health Organization (WHO) hand hygiene
recommendations. (M)
4. Use contact precautions for MRSA-colonized and MRSA-infected patients.
A facility that chooses or has already chosen to modify the use of contact
precautions for some or all of these patients should conduct a MRSA-specific
risk assessment to evaluate the facility for transmission risks and to assess the
effectiveness of other MRSA risk mitigation strategies (e.g., hand hygiene,
cleaning and disinfection of the environment, single occupancy patient
rooms), and establish a process for ongoing monitoring, oversight, and risk
assessment. (M)
5. Ensure cleaning and disinfection of equipment and the environment. (M)
6. Implement a laboratory-based alert system that notifies healthcare personnel
(HCP) of new MRSA-colonized or MRSA-infected patients in a timely
manner. (L)
7. Implement an alert system that identifies readmitted or transferred MRSA-
colonized or MRSA-infected patients. (L)
8. Provide MRSA data and outcome measures to key stakeholders, including
senior leadership, physicians, nursing staff, and others. (L)
9. Educate healthcare personnel about MRSA. (L)
10. Educate patients and families about MRSA. (L)
11. Implement an antimicrobial stewardship program. (L)
