Aerosolization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus during an epidemic in a burn intensive care unit.

Despite prompt identification of cases, rigorous isolation techniques, negative environmental samples, and largely negative personnel cultures, an epidemic of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) continued in our Burn Intensive Care Unit (BICU). We sought to determine whether there was any aerosolization of that organism in the unit and if there were air quality characteristics that might have enabled its transmission to patients. We measured air exchange and flow rates into rooms and using a Burkhard air sampler measured MRSA generated inside and just outside the rooms before, during, and after dressing changes in burned patients and in controls.