ABSTRACT
Probably just about the hottest topic in recent years within the NHS, apart from targets! Trusts now employ teams of infection control nurses and infection prevention nurses. Although these teams gather data and teach, they cannot be responsible for the infection control practices in clinical areas. Nurses often give the excuse that the ward is too busy, but in the long run a few minutes spent on good practice will save time and resources in the end. If a patient contracts Clostridium difficile or an MRSA bacteraemia, they will require extra care, resulting in longer hospital stays and increased mortality rates. It is important that root cause analysis is performed to identify any preventable causes. An MRSA bacteraemia is diagnosed by the analysis of blood cultures; this means that MRSA is present within the blood circulation.
