Active surveillance cultures are not required to control MRSA infections in the critical care setting.

Although the effectiveness of active surveillance cultures to identify and isolate patients colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remains debated, hospitals are under increasing pressure to begin active surveillance programs. We analyzed our data on device-associated MRSA infections in the intensive care unit setting over a 4-year period during which multiple evidence-based interventions to reduce hospital-acquired infections were introduced without performing active surveillance cultures for MRSA. We observed reductions in all infections, including those caused by MRSA, and conclude that control of MRSA in the critical care setting does not require active surveillance cultures.