| Description |
Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) is a rare but emerging
healthcare facility. The purpose of this pathogen on the EPI list is to capture
all cultures that have VRSA present (whether the patient has disease or is just
colonized). This should capture all vancomycin non-Susceptible strains of
Staphylococcus aureus, whether the susceptibility interpretation is
Intermediate or Resistant.
Note: This includes all positive cultures for MRSA, both clinical cultures
and those done as part of epidemiologic prevalence studies or surveys (such as
nasal and rectal swabs) at your facility.
pathogen for healthcare facilities. It is of concern because the resistance
Any Staphylococcus aureus isolate that is resistant to vancomycin should be
captured for this. Laboratories may use different methods to capture these
data. An appropriate National Committee on Clinical Laboratory Standard
(NCCLS) testing schema used and captured in VistA should be adequate.
to this antibiotic can be combined with resistance to other antibiotics; it is
this multiple resistance that will make infection with this organism difficult
to treat. Staphylococci can be transmitted easily within facilities; the easy
transmission is of concern for this organism should it occur in a patient. The
staphylococci can produce a spectrum of illness from asymptomatic colonization
to severe, life-threatening disease in those patients who acquire them. Whether
this organism is causing disease or not, it can contribute to spread within a
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