ABSTRACT
We evaluated hospitalized patients with a history of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) for persistent colonization and need for contact precautions. Up to 3 daily cultures of nares, skin, and any present wounds were compared with a single nasal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Most patients (76.2%) were no longer colonized with MRSA. A single PCR assay was sufficient to exclude persistent colonization and environmental contamination and remove the contact precautions.
Subject(s)
Carrier State/diagnosis , Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/isolation & purification , Molecular Diagnostic Techniques/methods , Nasal Mucosa/microbiology , Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , Staphylococcal Infections/diagnosis , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Carrier State/microbiology , Female , Hospitalization , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Skin/microbiology , Staphylococcal Infections/microbiology , Wounds and Injuries/microbiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
A policy consensus has not been reached regarding discontinuing contact precautions in patients with a history of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). We found that as many as 72% of outpatients flagged for past MRSA were no longer carriers, and a single nasal PCR test provided a reasonable negative predictive value for removing contact precautions.
