Decolonization to prevent infections with Staphylococcus aureus in patients undergoing hemodialysis: a review of current evidence.

Staphylococcus aureus infections remain common in patients undergoing hemodialysis, and the consequences of these infections are potentially severe. Although a number of evidence-based practices have been shown to decrease the healthcare-associated infections that this organism can cause, many questions remain about the utility of decolonization as a mechanism to prevent these infections. This brief review describes the current epidemiology of S.aureus infections in patients undergoing hemodialysis and reviews the evidence surrounding decolonization as an infection prevention strategy.