MRSA colonisation increases the risk of acquiring a surgical site infection (SSI). Screening identifies such patients and provides them with suitable eradication treatment prior to surgery to decrease their risk of infection. Our aim was to determine whether receiving effective eradication therapy decreases the risk of infection in a patient previously screening positive for MRSA to that of someone screening negative. 1061 patients underwent elective total knee or hip replacement between March 2008 and July 2010. 1047 had pre-operative screening for MRSA and MSSA using nasal and perineum swabs. If positive for MRSA they underwent a course of eradication treatment and were required to provide a negative swab result prior to undertaking surgery. However during the time of this study those screening positive for MSSA did not receive eradication treatment. Surgical site infections were recorded and the rate of infection, relative risk and odds ration were calculated.Introduction
Methods
