Efficacy of a hospital-wide environmental cleaning protocol on hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus rates

Background: Environmental contamination has been associated with over half of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) outbreaks in hospitals. We explored if a hospital-wide environmental and patient cleaning protocol would lower hospital acquired MRSA rates and associated costs. Objective: This study evaluates the impact of implementing a hospital-wide environmental and patient cleaning protocol on the rate of MRSA infection and the potential cost benefit of the intervention. Methods: A retrospective, pre-post interventional study design was used. The intervention comprised a combination of enhanced environmental cleaning of high touch surfaces, daily washing of patients with benzalkonium chloride, and targeted isolation of patients with active infection. The rate of MRSA infection per 1000 patient days (PD) was compared with the rate after the intervention (Steiros Algorithm®) was implemented. A cost–benefit analysis based on the number of MRSA infections avoided was conducted. Results: The MRSA rates decreased by 96% from 3.04 per 1000 PD to 0.11 per 1000 PD (P