About Us

Policies & Practices: Patient Safety

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Bacteraemia

What is Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus?
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a germ that lives on the skin and mucous membranes of healthy people. Occasionally S. aureus can cause an infection. When S. aureus develops resistance to certain antibiotics, it is called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

What is bacteraemia?
Bacteraemia is the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream and is referred to as a bloodstream infection.

How does MRSA spread?
MRSA is spread from one person to another by contact, usually on the hands of caregivers. It can be present on the caregiver’s hands either from touching contaminated material excreted by the infected person or from touching articles contaminated by the skin of a person with MRSA, such as towels, sheets and wound dressings. MRSA can live on the hands and objects in the environment.

Surveillance at Holland Bloorview:

2011	March 2011	June 2011	September 2011	December 2011
Number of new cases of MRSA	0	0	0	0
MRSA Rate	0	0	0	0

 

2010	March 2010	June 2010	September 2010	December 2010
Number of new cases of MRSA	0	0	0	0
MRSA Rate	0	0	0	0

 

2009	November 2008	March 2009	June 2009	September 2009	December 2009
Number of new cases of MRSA	0	0	0	0	0
MRSA Rate	0	0	0	0	0

The method of calculation of the MRSA bacteraemia infection rate for the reporting period (on a quarterly basis) is:

Number of nosocomial patients with laboratory identification of MRSA bacteraemia x 1000 Total number of patient days

Where the numerator is the total number of newly identified cases for MRSA bacteraemia associated with the reporting facility, for the reporting period. The denominator is the total number of in patient days for the reporting period. There are no exclusion criteria.

For smaller facilities that have only a small inpatient population, like Holland Bloorview, MRSA rates may vary from month to month. In fact, the smaller the facility, the greater the rates will vary, because a change in even one case in a small facility will cause the rate to go up or down considerably.

FAQs for clients and families:

• Public Reporting on MRSA (PDF)

To view MRSA rates for all Ontario hospitals please visit www.ontario.ca/patientsafety

• 
• 
• 

To view PDF files you require the free Adobe Reader.

Select Text Size

• Adjust text size: Small Aa
• Adjust text size: Medium Aa
• Adjust text size: Large Aa