Study: Gowns, gloves in ICU don't cut MRSA, VRE

From Lisa Schnirring at CIDRAP, excerpt :

" Wearing gowns and gloves in all patient rooms in intensive care units (ICUs) didn't lead to a significant drop in two key antibiotic-resistant threats, but the practice didn't seem to have any negative effects on patient care, according to a new study.

Though the trial, which covered ICUs in 20 US hospitals in 15 states, didn't reduce the rates of acquiring methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) or vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), researchers did see a slightly lower risk when they looked at MRSA by itself.

The study authors, led by researchers at the University of Maryland, published their findings in an Oct 4 early online edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The group also reported its findings last week in San Francisco at IDWeek, the annual meeting of four major infectious disease associations."