The art of medicine: Five decades of MRSA: controversy and uncertainty continues

Kirsten Rosendal, a microbiologist at the public health centre in Copenhagen was highly active in the Danish College of Physicians and eff ective in campaigning to improve infection prevention and control, as well as antibiotic stewardship measures, which were successful in eradicating MRSA in Denmark. Media coverage of the issue increased dramatically, and in the late 1990s patient advocacy organisations fi nally began to recognise that hospital infection and MRSA were major patient safety issues.\n I led a consensus on European standards and indicators for health-care-associated infection and related issues of antimicrobial resistance, and this work has revealed key themes. England was unique in introducing MRSA bacteraemia reduction targets although, as the National Audit Offi ce pointed out, reductions were not seen until pressure was exerted upon chief executives to report these rates to the Department of Health.