Extrait

Background and study aims MRSA is a type of bacterial infection that is resistant to a number of widely used antibiotics. This means that it tends to be more difficult to treat than other bacterial infections. All patients admitted to a NHS hospital are tested for MRSA. Those patients found to be carriers are placed on the MRSA care pathway, which typically involves being placed in an isolation room in order to try and prevent the bacteria spreading to other patients and then treated by antibiotics to try and stop them developing an active infection. MRSA infection can be detected using a conventional culture method or via a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based method. The PCR method gives faster results than the culture method, so, as the infected patient is placed on the MRSA pathway more quickly, one might expect the number of other patients that are then infected would be fewer compared to using the culture method. However, research into this has had mixed results with some showing no significant reduction at all. This may be due to the time needed to take the specimen to the laboratory in order to do the PCR. Point of care (POC) tests are performed in the wards by ward staff, such as nurses. This means that there is no time wasted by having to take the specimen to the laboratory. Here, we investigate whether using a POC PCR-based test will lead to a reduction of the spread of MRSA and infection rates when compared to a conventional culture based method. Who can participate? All adults patients admitted to one of the wards taking part in the study can participate. What does the study involve? Participants are randomly allocated into one of two groups. Those in the control group are swabbed for MRSA at admission and these swabs are taken to the laboratory for MRSA testing using conventional culture methods. Those in the treatment group have one set of swabs taken for conventional culture MRSA testing and one taken for POC PCR-based MRSA testing in the ward. All participants in both groups are swabbed again for MRSA infection as they are discharged. Any patient found to carriers or are infected are placed on the MRSA care pathway. What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? By identifying MRSA carriers rapidly, those with MRSA can be more quickly placed on the MRSA care pathway. This means that the study may reduce the chance of the infection spreading or the carrier developing an infection. The risks are minimal as MRSA swabbing is carried out already without adverse effect. Where is the study run from? King’s College Hospital, London (UK) When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? May 2011 to July 2012. Who is funding the study? Department of Health, England (UK) Who is the main contact? Dr Peijun Wu, [email protected]

Critère d'inclusion

• MRSA Infection

Liens

• ictrp
• isrctn