The Centers for Disease Control recently described the complex problem of antibiotic resistance and the potentially catastrophic consequences of inaction.1 In response, Platt co-authored a description of the Institute’s research addressing one of the most important resistant bacteria, methicillin resistant Staph. aureus (MRSA). The REDUCE MRSA trial 2 is a collaborative effort involving the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, the University of California at Irvine, the CDC, and the Hospital Corporation of America. The trial showed that treating all patients admitted to intensive-care units with antimicrobial soap and nasal ointment reduced the number of bloodstream infections caused by MRSA and other bacteria by 44%. The study used a pragmatic cluster randomized design involving over 40 hospitals and 75,000 patients, allowing the investigators to obtain these results more quickly and less expensively than is usually possible.
The study3 highlights the potential to create the best scientific evidence for practice when the government, academia, and the private sector work together.
________________________________
References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Antibiotic resistance threats in the United States, 2013. Atlanta: CDC; 2013. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/threat-report-2013/pdf/ar-threats-2013-508.pdf.
2. Huang SS. et al. Targeted versus Universal Decolonization to Prevent ICU Infection. N Engl J Med 2013;368:2255-2265.
3. Perlin JB, Platt R. A Big Step in the Fight Against Superbugs. September 25, 2013. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324492604579083742106373398.html.