Preventing MRSA Infections: The Importance of Mupirocin Usage

By Kamie Snure, infection prevention specialist coordinator, Miami Valley Hospital

The infection prevention department is currently working on a project to track Mupirocin usage across Premier Health as MRSA rates have increased. Mupirocin usage at Miami Valley Hospital is considerably lower than that of our partners at Atrium Medical Center and Upper Valley Medical Center (see chart below). Patient order sets were investigated for admitting or transferring patients to critical care. It was determined that critical care order sets are underutilized when patients are admitted or transferred to critical care units.  According to the CDC, Mupirocin use in critical care patients is evidence-based to prevent MRSA infections by decolonizing high-risk patients. 

When patients are admitted or transferred to critical care units, including ICUs and trauma, please use Mupirocin order sets. Mupirocin is included in our critical care order sets, and with increased compliance, we can improve the rates of hospital-acquired MRSA.

For reference:

• Mupirocin use in critical care patients is evidence-based to prevent MRSA infections by decolonizing high risk patients. 



• Our system ICU Admission orderset includes the order:

Back to the October 2024 issue of Premier Pulse