Preventing healthcare-associated MRSA bacteremia: getting to the root of the problem.

Introduction: Bloodstream infections caused by methicillin-resistant (MRSA) remain a major challenge in most countries worldwide.

Setting: We describe a quasi-experimental sequential intervention at Mater Dei Hospital, Malta, to reduce hyper-prevalence of healthcare-associated MRSA bacteremia (HA-MRSA-B).

Interventions: The hospital initiated a hand hygiene (HH) campaign in 2008 to improve alcohol hand rub (AHR) use.

Clinical impact of antimicrobial resistance in European hospitals: excess mortality and length of hospital stay related to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections.

Antimicrobial resistance is threatening the successful management of nosocomial infections worldwide. Despite the therapeutic limitations imposed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), its clinical impact is still debated. The objective of this study was to estimate the excess mortality and length of hospital stay (LOS) associated with MRSA bloodstream infections (BSI) in European hospitals.