By Chris Miller, Assistant Editor, Facility Market

Antimicrobial resistance is an ongoing issue in healthcare facilities, especially nursing homes since they serve medically susceptible patients, according to ContagionLive. The CDC says one of the biggest risks for getting an antibiotic-resistant infection is staying in a healthcare facility. Since healthcare facilities are often interconnected, patients can spread multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) around various areas.

A recent study looked at a variety of interventions designed to reduce the spread of MDROs. The study looked at hospitals, long-term acute-care hospitals, and nursing homes. It used an agent-based model to distinguish the interventions and actions that were the most effective in reducing or preventing the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) from 2017 to 2020. 

Three interventions were modeled, including increasing contact precaution effectiveness, boosting communication between facilities, and carrying out decolonization actions, such as bathing with antiseptic soap and swabbing nasal passages with iodine-based antiseptic solutions. The decolonization effort yielded the highest reductions in MDRO transmission and prevalence.

The modeling study showed varying chances of eliminating the colonization contingent on the type of facility. Hospitals held the highest probability of clearing the colonization while the lowest clearance probability was found in nursing homes. This could be due to indwelling devices, less common occasions of bathing and patients having many comorbidities. The study also found that raising communication between facilities turned out to mean no change in MDRO prevalence.

Ultimately, decolonization practices yielded the best results. So healthcare providers should focus on these efforts more compared to increasing communication between facilities and increasing contact precaution effectiveness. The study shows that MDRO infections can result in significant expenses that outweigh the costs of the interventions used to prevent them. Straightforward measures like using antimicrobial wipes and baths, wearing gloves and gowns, and making marketing materials intended to raise awareness of MDROs among staff can help healthcare facilities save money.