MRSA Rate Reporting
The MRSA infection rate is calculated as a rate per 1,000 patient days.
The “total patient days” represents the sum of the number of days during which services
were provided to all inpatients during the given time period.
The rate is calculated as follows:
Number of new hospital acquired (HA) cases of MRSA in our facility x 1000 divided by Total number of patient days (for one month)>
Bacteraemia is the presence of bacteria in the blood. The blood is normally a sterile environment, so the detection of bacteria in the blood (most commonly with blood cultures) is always abnormal.
| Number of new cases of MRSA bacteraemia | % rate of HA MRSA bacteraemia infection | |
| September 1 - November 30 2008 | 0 | 0% |
| December 1 - March 30, 2009 |
0 | 0% |
| April 1 - June 30, 2009 |
0 | 0% |
| July 1 - September 31, 2009 |
0 | 0% |
| October 1 - December 31, 2009 | 0 | 0% |
| January 1 - March 31, 2010 | 0 | 0% |
| April 1- June 30, 2010 | 0% | 0% |
What is MRSA?
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of bacteria that is resistant to certain or all types of the beta-lactam classes of antibiotics, such as penicillins, penicillinase-resistant penicillins (e.g. cloxacillin) and cephalosporins. MRSA are strains of S. aureus that have an MIC to oxacillin of = 4 mcg/ml. or contain the mecA gene coding for penicillin binding protein 2a (PBP 2a).
What causes MRSA?
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria lives on the skin, nose, the lower intestine, and may cause an infection and resist antibiotics (people may carry the bacteria without having symptoms). Risk factors for MRSA acquisition include invasive procedures, prior treatment with antibiotics, prolonged hospital stay, stay in an intensive care or burn unit, surgical wound infection and close proximity to a colonized. MRSA can also be transmitted from mother to child through breast milk.
How does MRSA spread?
The spread of MRSA occurs through contact and can live on surfaces for months. Good hand hygiene is the single-most effective way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases like MRSA. Mild cases may not require treatment and severe cases may require other antibiotics.