I believe there should be three main reasons for doing MDRO screening, be it for MRSA, ESBLs, VRE etc etc.

• To try and reduce clinical impact from MDROs.
• To try and reduce total numbers of MDROs.
• To try and stop an MDRO becoming established in an institution.

However my personal experience is that MDRO screening is started for a variety of other different reasons…. e.g. because everyone else is doing it, because the government or laboratory CEO has ordered it, because there has been a recent “superbug” article in the media, the infection control team reports a “cluster” of MDRO isolates…. etc etc

Whatever the reasons, I would advise that the decision to commence an MDRO screening program not be taken lightly, because once you have started screening, it is notoriously difficult to stop. It is also incredibly expensive.

I can just see the headlines now: “Laboratory stops looking for Superbugs in their Local Hospital”!

Michael

p.s. I will look at monitoring of MDROs in the next article of this mini-series.