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Bridget M. Kuehn

JAMA. 2005;293:790.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Isolating patients in intensive care units (ICUs) who are positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in single rooms or cohorts does not reduce cross-infection, even when coupled with standard precautionary measures, researchers from the United Kingdom concluded (Cepeda et al. Lancet. 2005;365:295-304). These findings and the potential risks associated with moving and isolating critically ill patients suggest that a reevaluation of hospital isolation policies and the development of additional preventive measures are necessary, according to the study’s authors.

Special measures to isolate patients in intensive care units who are positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus might not reduce spread of the infection. (Photo credit: http://www.sciencesource.com)

The prospective 1-year study examined MRSA infection rates in the ICUs of two teaching hospitals in London. The study found no evidence of increased transmission during the 6-month period of the study when MRSA-positive patients were not isolated. Isolation procedures may . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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