#VisualAbstract: Mupirocin for Staphylococcus aureus Decolonization of Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

1. Mupirocin was shown to have an overall primary decolonization efficacy of 95% when used to treat Staphylococcus aureus among infants <24 months old admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

2. Almost half of all treated patients who demonstrated primary decolonization and remained in the hospital at day 22 also demonstrated persistent decolonization.

Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Excellent)

Study Rundown: S. aureus colonization is a major source of sepsis, morbidity, and mortality among infants admitted to the NICU. Previous studies have shown prophylactic mupirocin administration among adults admitted to the intensive care unit to be efficacious in preventing hospital acquired MRSA infections, however its effect on critically ill infants has not been studied. In this trial, researchers evaluated the safety and efficacy of mupirocin (intranasal, periumbilical, and perianal) versus no mupirocin in reducing primary and persistent colonization with S. aureus (both methicillin-sensitive, MSSA, and methicillin-resistant, MRSA) among NICU patients <24 months old. Results showed mupirocin use had an overall efficacy of about 95% in primary colonization with S. aureus in the study population. Almost half of the infants who demonstrated primary decolonization and who remained in the hospital at day 22 also demonstrated persistent decolonization. Rash was the only adverse reaction noted significantly more often in treated patients. This study was limited by potential reporting bias in that nurses were asked to examine all treated patients for rash prior to mupirocin application. Although this study was not powered to determine the efficacy of mupirocin use in preventing S. aureus infections, results suggest mupirocin use at several body sites could be used to decrease S. aureus colonization rates among infants in the NICU.

Click to read the study in Pediatrics

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