[EUREGIO MRSA-net Twente/Münsterland: "search & follow" by Euregional network building]

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus causes the majority of healthcare-associated infections worldwide. Particularly critical are infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), for which there are few possibilities of antibiotic therapy. It is known that the occurrence of MRSA is directly associated with increased morbidity and mortality. There is also evidence for an increased lethality in hospital-acquired MRSA infections and MRSA bacteraemia in comparison to methicillin-sensitive S. aureus. Besides prolonged and severe disease conditions, the occurrence of MRSA results is extremely laborious and has for the hospitals very expensive consequences, in extreme cases the closure of an entire ward. Nosocomial infections due to MRSA lead to a significantly prolonged length of stay of the patient and leads therefore to extra costs due to recommended hygiene measures (e. g. isolation in a single room). The long-term treatment options can have side effects and are often limited to expensive antibiotics. The growing number of patients treated with severe underlying diseases and the increasing number of expensive medical treatments leads to a further exacerbation of this situation. In times of limited financial resources, this might lead to irresolvable conflicts between the patient safety required and the health funding available.