Reducing Hospitalizations and Multidrug-Resistant Organisms via Regional Decolonization in Hospitals and Nursing Homes

A study conducted in Orange County, California, aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a decolonization collaborative in reducing multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) infections. The study involved 35 health care facilities and involved chlorhexidine bathing and nasal iodophor antisepsis for residents in long-term care and hospitalized patients in contact precautions. The results showed a significant reduction in MDRO prevalence, incident clinical cultures, infection-related hospitalizations, costs, and deaths. The intervention also reduced the rate of infection-related hospitalizations per 1000 resident-days in nursing homes. The associated hospitalization costs per 1000 resident-days changed from $64,651 to $55,149, and from $55,151 to $59,327 in participating and nonparticipating NHs. The study concluded that a regional collaborative involving universal decolonization in long-term care facilities and targeted decolonization among hospital patients in contact precautions was associated with lower MDRO carriage, infections, hospitalizations, costs, and deaths.