Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE), and C. difficile are three bacteria found in Canadian hospitals that together, are often referred to as “superbugs”. They can cause symptoms ranging from asymptomatic colonization to septic shock and death. 

About 220,000 Canadians develop hospital-acquired infections each year and about 8,000 die from them annually. It costs more to treat these infections than to prevent them.  For example, the estimated costs for treating and isolating patients with MRSA infections was $82 million in 2004 and that could reach $129 million by 2010. Total cost per infected MRSA patient averages $12,216, for prolonged hospitalization, special control measures, expensive treatments and extensive surveillance.

The five traditional components of evidence-based infection control practices that form the basis of successfully reducing superbug transmission include an aggressive hand hygiene program; systematic cleaning and decontamination of the environment and equipment; precautions for contact with any patient that is infected or colonized with a superbug; selected MRSA and VRE screening surveillance cultures on admission and at other times during hospitalization if indicated; and regularly reporting of superbug infection rates to frontline workers and hospital leadership.

Implementing these infection control practices can be challenging due to the fact that prevalent healthcare culture does not easily recognize the importance of healthcare associated infections.  In addition to traditional infection control strategies, this new intervention offers additional techniques such as positive deviance and social marketing, to help bring about positive culture change.

The measurements associated with this intervention have been chosen to be both relevant and easy to collect.  Participation in this intervention can help your organization meet the MRSA reporting requirements of the Accreditation Canada.