APIC to Conduct National MRSA Prevalence Study

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) announces a detailed strategy to combat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The initiative includes the launch of a national survey on this increasingly prevalent and virulent infection. APIC will conduct the 2006 MRSA Prevalence Study during the month of October to gather nationwide data on MRSA infections/colonizations in inpatients in U.S. healthcare facilities. 

The announcement was made at “Managing MRSA: A Call to Action,” a three-day conference convened by APIC, Joint Commission Resources, and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), which is being held this week in Cambridge, Mass. The conference brings together leading scientific and clinical experts on MRSA to address current challenges and examine best practices to combat this threat to the health and well-being of patients worldwide.

“The challenges we face from what some call the ‘superbug’ warrant a comprehensive plan of attack,” said APIC president Kathleen Meehan Arias, MS, CIC.  “This week’s conference and the survey in October will provide a valuable baseline on this issue. The information we collect will help us empower infection prevention and control professionals with the tools they need to fight MRSA in healthcare facilities throughout the United States and the world.”

APIC will use this information to:

-- Introduce and sustain an ongoing public awareness campaign on eradicating MRSA

-- Provide ongoing education on strategies to control MRSA

-- Initiate a “call to action” to CEOs and chief medical officers at healthcare facilities to gain their commitment 

“Preventing the spread of MRSA will take a sustained effort on the part of the entire health care community,” said APIC CEO Kathy L. Warye. “We urge healthcare leaders – CEOs, CFOs and CMOs – to join with us to fight this increasingly virulent and costly health threat.”

Source: APIC