Impact of an active strategy to control MRSA in a portuguese ICU

MRSA infection is a major health care problem. In 2008, as a component of a general strategy for infection prevention, a program to control MRSA was implemented in our ICU, consisting in pre-emptive isolation, rapid screening tests for identification of MRSA carriers and targeted decolonization with nasal mupirocin in addition to antiseptic body bathing. At the same time, screening of at-risk patients along with targeted isolation and antiseptic body washing was implemented in general wards