[…] August 2015 Summary Table Q4 2014/2015 Previous quarter Last 4 quarters Total new MRSA cases identified 1,082 689 2,847 Number of MRSA associated with the reporting facility 537 333 1,453 Total inpatient days 1,014,015 757,100 3,142,728 Provincial rate per 10,000 inpatient days (95% CI) 5.3 (4.9‐5.8) 4.4 (4.0‐4.9) 4.6 (4.4‐4.9) Highlights The provincial rate of new cases of MRSA associated with the reporting facility in Q4 of 2014/2015 was significantly higher than in the previous quarter (Q3 of 2014/2015) and the last four quarters (Q4 of 2013/2014 – Q3 of 2014/2015). The provincial rate of MRSA fluctuated greatly in the past four quarters. The health authorities have been closely monitoring the trends of MRSA in their facilities. The provincial MRSA surveillance program was established to monitor the incidence and trends of healthcare‐ associated MRSA (either colonization or infection) among patients who have been hospitalized in acute care facilities. MRSA stands for Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of S. aureus that has become resistant to certain antibiotics such as methicillin, penicillin, amoxicillin, etc., and is thus more difficult to treat. Like non‐ resistant S. aureus, MRSA often lives on the skin or in the nose of healthy people without causing symptoms (this is called colonization). It can, however, cause skin and other infections. Most infections are minor, such as pimples and boils. Serious infections — such as wound infections, pneumonia, or septicaemia (infections getting into the bloodstream) — can result in life‐threatening illness or, on rare occasions, death, if left untreated. Those with weakened immune systems and chronic illnesses are more susceptible to developing an infection. MRSA is primarily spread by skin‐to‐skin contact or through contact with items contaminated with the bacteria. It has been shown to spread easily in healthcare settings, therefore hospital patients, and residents in nursing homes or long‐term care facilities, are at a higher risk of acquiring MRSA. In addition, MRSA has been found in community settings. Hand hygiene is the most important measure to prevent the spread of MRSA in both the healthcare setting and the community. Hospitals perform active surveillance (e.g., screening of high‐risk individuals) to identify patients colonized with MRSA so that precautions can be taken to prevent transmission to other patients. The PICNet website (www.picnet.ca) has general information about MRSA prevention and control, as well as the case definition, data sources, and limitations used to generate this report. If you have questions or suspect that you have MRSA, please contact your doctor. MRSA Update, Q3 2014/2015 Provincial Infection Control Network of British Columbia (PICNet) Page 2 of 6 Figure 1. Provincial rate and number of new cases of MRSA associated with the reporting facility, by fiscal year and quarter, British Columbia 1 Bars in the line chart represent 95% confidence interval of the rates. Case finding strategy and application of case classification for MRSA surveillance may vary over time and by health authority. The time frame of each fiscal quarter varied by fiscal year and there were more days in Q4 than in Q1, Q2, and Q3 each fiscal year. The same hereinafter. ...
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