Impact of pre-emptive contact precautions for outborn neonates on the incidence of healthcare-associated meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus transmission in a Japanese neonatal intensive care unit

SummaryBackgroundThe neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a high-risk setting for transmission of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Very few studies have investigated the impact of pre-emptive contact precautions applied to outborn neonates transferred to an NICU on the incidence of healthcare-associated (HA)-MRSA transmission.AimTo assess the efficacy of pre-emptive contact precautions for outborn neonates implemented in an NICU.MethodsA before-and-after intervention study was conducted in the NICU of Kobe University Hospital. Pre-emptive contact precautions for outborn neonates were introduced in September 2008. The period before the introduction of pre-emptive contact precautions (January 2007–August 2008) was compared with the period after the introduction of pre-emptive contact precautions (September 2008–December 2010). Data for all admitted neonates, neonates who stayed in the NICU for more than three days, length of NICU stay, incidence of MRSA-positive outborn neonates on admission, hand hygiene compliance and incidence of HA-MRSA transmission were compared between the two periods.FindingsThere were no significant differences in the percentage of outborn patients admitted to the NICU, percentage of patients who stayed in the NICU for more than three days, length of NICU stay, and incidence of MRSA-positive outborn patients at NICU admission between the groups enrolled before and after the introduction of pre-emptive contact precautions. However, hand hygiene compliance increased, and the incidence of HA-MRSA transmission reduced significantly from 3.5/1000 to 1.3/1000 patient-days after the introduction of pre-emptive contact precautions (P < 0.0001).ConclusionPre-emptive contact precautions for outborn neonates were effective in reducing the incidence of HA-MRSA transmission in a Japanese NICU.