Implementation of a universal admission surveillance and decolonization program for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) reduces the number of MRSA and total number of S. aureus isolates reported by the clinical laboratory.

Our three-hospital system began active surveillance for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal colonization, with decolonization of positive patients, on all admissions starting 1 August 2005. A question not previously addressed is whether reduction of the incidence of MRSA disease would lower the total number of S. aureus clinical isolates recovered by the microbiology laboratory that are reported to health care providers. The decreases in the numbers of MRSA and total S. aureus clinical isolates for each year after August 2005 were highly statistically significant compared to the numbers in each of the prior 3 years (P < 0.0001).