VA National Campaign Takes Aim at Resistant Staph Infections

VA National Campaign Takes Aim at Resistant Staph Infections
VA Medical Facilities Leaders in Fight against MRSA
WASHINGTON (October 18, 2007) - Building on the success of a pilot
program that reduced a worrisome staph infection by 50 percent, the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has tough new screening requirements
now in place in all of its 153 hospitals.

In addition to emphasizing its commitment to hospital hygiene and
flagging affected patients for special precautions, VA facilities
monitor all incoming patients on key units with nasal swabs and cultures
for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

"VA demonstrated that dramatic reductions in MRSA-related infections are
possible," said Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon H.
Mansfield. "VA's completion of our national deployment of these serious
prevention measures reinforces VA's stature as one of the safest health
care environments nationally."

Recently published data from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention in collaboration with other researchers estimated there may
be more than 94,000 MRSA cases a year in the United States associated
with 18,650 deaths annually.

"MRSA is a dangerous infection, difficult to eradicate, that can cause
pneumonia, wound or bloodstream infections," said Dr. Michael J.
Kussman, VA's Under Secretary for Health. "Our ability to reduce the
number of cases of MRSA infection enhances our ability to provide
quality health care for veterans."

MRSA reflects the broader problem of multi-drug resistant organisms,
which are difficult to treat with conventional antibiotics. In addition
to hand-washing, isolation of infected patients and the use of gowns to
prevent spread, the VA initiative focuses on "culture change" among its
health care workers to improve awareness of the threat and to make
infection prevention a routine component of care during each patient
encounter every day.

After a successful pilot program in VA's Pittsburgh Health Care system,
the Department began screening incoming patients to its intensive care
units in March. The program has been expanded to other high-risk
hospital units, including transplant and spinal cord injury as well as
general surgical and medical patient wards.