Welcome and Introduction
Welcome to the AHRQ Toolkit for MRSA Prevention: Targeting SSI. This toolkit is designed to provide the resources and tools to help you tackle the complex problems of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and surgical site infection (SSI) prevention for surgical services, specifically cardiac, hip and knee joint replacement, and spinal fusion surgeries.
Select the hyperlinks below to learn about the resources in the three sections of the toolkit.
Key Strategies To Prevent MRSA
The clinical topics of this toolkit are centered around the Four Key Strategies for MRSA Prevention: Targeting SSI. Select to learn about the four strategic areas where MRSA prevention efforts can have the greatest impact.
MRSA and SSI Prevention Phases
The MRSA and SSI Prevention Phases section outlines this toolkit’s clinical topics around key perioperative phases including office/home, pre-op, surgery, and immediate post-op. Select to learn how to prevent MRSA infection at every phase of care.
CUSP for MRSA Prevention
This toolkit is built upon concepts derived from the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP). The section on CUSP for MRSA Prevention discusses how to incorporate CUSP methodology with your current care team and use these methods to better prevent MRSA and reduce SSIs at your institution. Select to access CUSP materials for MRSA prevention and to reduce SSIs.
Operationalizing Your Program
The Operationalizing Your Program section provides guidance and resources on how to use the best practices and materials presented in this toolkit to fit your surgical service's needs and to integrate them into your institutional efforts. Select to access Program Implementation Resources.
Index of Clinical Topics: Use this link to view all of the Clinical Topics on a single page.
In Memoriam
The toolkit development team recognizes the essential contributions of Dr. Sean Berenholtz, M.D., M.H.S., FCCM, professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine and surgery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, who died in April 2024. Dr. Berenholtz was an integral part of the team that developed this program, and of several other CUSP projects.
