MRSA burden and interventions.

Infections caused by meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remain a major problem worldwide. In England, the Department of Health set a target for decreasing MRSA bloodstream infections throughout the country by 50% by 2008, based on the 2003/2004 national figure. To aid hospitals in achieving their individual targets, guidance was provided in the form of care bundles, which were initially related to infection-control practices. Several studies have shown that decreasing the use of fluoroquinolones and/or cephalosporins results in a decrease in MRSA infection rates. In 2007 the Department of Health published guidance on antibiotic prescribing, following which the MRSA bloodstream infection rate dropped more rapidly than in 2006, and the target was met.