A recent publication in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology confirms that significant variation exists, even among infectious diseases specialists, for decolonizing a patient of Staphyloccus prior to an elective procedures. As most staphylococcal infections arise from one's own endogenous strain, reducing the bacterial burden is a proven infection prevention intervention.
The investigators surveyed infectious disease physicians to determine their preoperative Staphylococcus aureus screening and decolonization practices. Sixty percent reported preoperative screening for S. aureus. However, specific screening and decolonization practices are highly variable, are focused almost exclusively on methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and do not include testing for mupirocin or chlorhexidine resistance.
Variation on screening and decolonization exist as neither method is fully effective at either detecting or eradicating S.aureus.
At present, we cannot easily detect all staphylococcal carriers and prevent all related infections.
