Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSA quarter of NI nursing home residents carrying MRSA
Almost one in four nursing home residents in Northern Ireland is carrying MRSA, according to report by Queen’s University Belfast and Antrim Area Hospital.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, investigated 45 nursing homes in one health administration area of Northern Ireland.
A total of 23.3% of residents and 7.5% of staff were found to be colonised with MRSA bacteria.
Those carrying the bacteria did not necessarily show signs of infection.
The study emphasised the need for high priority to be given to infection control strategies in nursing homes.
Dr Paddy Kearney, Consultant Medical Microbiologist for the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, said: ‘In hospitals, routine checks are carried out to identify those most at risk of MRSA colonisation but this is not always feasible in private nursing homes.’
Professor Carmel Hughes, Director of Research from Queen’s University’s School of Pharmacy, commented: ‘In order to combat this problem, two approaches could be considered: improved education and training of staff, and removing MRSA from people who are colonised with it, using suitable creams and washes.’
The report also found that residents who lived in nursing homes that were part of a chain were more likely to carry MRSA than those living in private homes.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (2009) 57:620-626
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