Staff levels link to MRSA

In a study presented at the Intensive Care Society's annual spring meeting, researchers claim that intensive care patients are seven times more likely to become infected with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (the MRSA superbug), especially when units are suffering nursing shortages compared to when they are fully-staffed.

In the study the researchers studied 174 patients who were admitted into the unit over a 23 week period. Of these patients, 7% acquired MRSA during seven of the weeks studied. During six of these seven weeks the unit was particularly busy because of a shortage of trained nurses in the daytime.

The researchers also found that during five of the seven weeks in which patients picked up MRSA, the ward's cleanliness standard was defined as below average. The study concluded that a lack of trained nurses could be linked to higher levels of the deadly infection.

Dr Stephanie Dancer, a Consultant Microbiologist from Scotland, who conducted the study, said: "These results were something of a surprise to me.

"I have studied the acquisition of MRSA for several years now, and have previously focused on levels of hygiene.

"These results show that MRSA acquisition is caused by the culmination of a number of different factors. In this study, understaffing was a significant factor, exacerbated by poor ward hygiene and further studies are required to explore this in more detail”.

She added: "It is assumed that when nurses are particularly busy due to understaffing, they do not have time to wash their hands”.

Dr Anna Batchelor, President of the Intensive Care Society said: "Under-staffing is a particular problem in many ICUs.

"This study highlights how a lack of trained staff puts patient lives in danger.

"The challenge for intensive care is now to ensure more nurses are brought into the specialty and that the new government commits to adequate funding for trained staff”.

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