The London Independent Hospital (LIH) has carried out an evaluation of the potential benefits of introducing universal rapid patient screening for methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonisation.
The outcome marks a milestone for the UK private hospital sector that will see the introduction of Acolyte’s new BacLite flex Rapid MRSA system, distributed in the UK by Bio-Stat Diagnostic Systems, as a means to keep MRSA out of the LIH, protecting both patients and staff. In making this investment, LIH has demonstrated its commitment to the highest levels of patient care. Rapid screening allows early identification of potentially colonised patients who can be isolated and treated before putting themselves and others at risk. The choice of the BacLite system will allow LIH to capitalise on 15 years’ development work originated by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), a world renowned centre of excellence for scientific research.
John Eldridge, microbiology laboratory manager at LIH, commented: "We want to employ the very latest tools to protect our patients from healthcareassociated infections (HAIs). In our evaluation, the BacLite system is fast, sensitive and cost effective and we have been able to demonstrate the benefits of introducing the system in routine screening."
