Hospitals with board-certified infection prevention programs will have significantly lower rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections than those that don't, according to a new study published in the March American Journal of Infection Control.
"The association between a board-certified professional and fewer MRSA infections likely reflects greater awareness and level of implementation of evidence-based prevention practices," Michelle Farber, president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, said in a statement.
The study, which reinforces the positive effect board certification has on infection rates, also found that 97 percent of the hospitals surveyed performed some type of screening upon patient admission, especially for MRSA.
However, few hospitals said they used universal and targeted screening for Clostridium difficile.
Such findings are worrisome, as C. difficile infection rates and deaths are climbing to historic highs. In its report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did note that hospitals that have infection prevention projects and control measures in place saw C. difficile infections drop 20 percent in less than two years, FierceHealthcare recently reported.
For more information:
- here's the press release
- check out the study abstract