Prevention of MRSA Infections in Healthcare Settings
Basic infection control practices are key to the prevention and control of MRSA in healthcare settings. This page explains the key practices and other steps which will aid in preventing MRSA infections and the spread of MRSA.
If an outbreak has occurred please contact your facility’s infection preventionist or your local/state health department.
Preventing the Spread of MRSA in Healthcare Settings
FAQ's about MRSA
8.5" by 11" poster is available in the following formats:
FAQs about MRSA [PDF - 216 KB]
FAQs about MRSA Larger text [PDF - 232 KB]
En español: Preguntas frecuentes "Staphylococcus aureus resistente a la meticilina" [PDF - 237 KB]
Standard Precautions
Standard Precautions, exerpted from the Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings 2007, should control the spread of MRSA in most instances. Standard Precautions should be used for all patient care.
View the Standard Precautions...
Contact Precautions
CDC recommends contact precautions for MRSA. Further recommendations can be found in the guideline Management of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in Healthcare Settings, 2006 [PDF 235KB/73 pages].
View the Contact Precautions...
Prevention Tools
MRSA Toolkit
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Infections [PDF - 206 KB]
MRSA Toolkit [PPT - 744 KB]
- MRSA Baseline Prevention Practices Assessment Tool For States Establishing HAI Prevention Collaboratives Using Recovery Act Funds [PDF - 229 KB]
Evaluating Environmental Cleaning
Visitors of Infected Patients
When visiting MRSA patients, individuals should follow the facility’s visitor policies. Casual contact—such as kissing, hugging, and touching—is usually acceptable. Visitors should avoid touching catheters or wound sites and should wash their hands before leaving an infected person's room.
Patient Education
Patient education is a critical component of MRSA case management. Healthcare professionals should educate patients and visitors on methods to avoid MRSA transmission to close contacts.
Additional Precautions
In addition to standard and contact precautions, additional precautions may also be considered for healthcare facilities.
View the Additional Precautions...
Important Guidelines:
Numerous guidelines and publications are available from the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC)
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