Study Results from Saint Vincent Hospital Broaden Understanding of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (Nasal Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Culture Screens in the Setting of Universal Decolonization).

A study conducted at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, has found that nasal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) culture screens are less reliable when decolonization with ethyl alcohol has already been administered. The study aimed to determine the reliability of the nasal MRSA culture screen in guiding antibiotic deescalation. The results showed that the negative predictive value (NPV) of the nasal MRSA culture screen was compromised by universal decolonization practices, leading to false-negative results and inappropriate antibiotic deescalation. The researchers concluded that nasal MRSA culture screens are less accurate than PCR tests and should not be used as a reliable tool for antibiotic deescalation in the presence of alcohol decolonization. [Extracted from the article]