HomeMy WebLinkAboutreportable-by-healthcare-providers-archiveCalifornia Department of Public Health
Infectious Disease Brach
http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ps/dcdc/disb/disbindex.htm
Severe Staphylococcus aureus Infections
Now Reportable by Healthcare Providers
Effective February 13, 2008, a severe Staphylococcus aureus infection in a previously
healthy person resulting in death or admission to an intensive care unit is immediately
reportable from healthcare providers to local health departments. A previously healthy
person is defined as one who has not been hospitalized or had surgery, dialysis,
or residency in a long-term care facility in the past year, and did not have an
indwelling catheter or percutaneous medical device at the time of culture.
Infection with either methicillin-sensitive or methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MSSA
or MRSA) is reportable if the patient fits the case definition. For now, a case of
toxic shock syndrome due to S. aureus should continue to be reported under toxic
shock syndrome and not under this new case category.
Public health surveillance for these severe S. aureus cases via reporting will help
identify the types of community-associated S. aureus infections, including MRSA
infections, that are the most concerning to the public and health officials. Examples of
severe illness syndromes caused by S. aureus include invasive skin and soft-tissue
infection, necrotizing fasciitis, musculoskeletal infection (pyomyositis, osteomyelitis),
severe pneumonia, empyema, necrotizing pneumonia, disseminated infections with
septic emboli, bacteremia, and sepsis syndrome. Surveillance data can help to identify
populations at risk for severe community-associated S. aureus infections, and provide
additional information that could be used to plan prevention and control measures.
If a case of severe S. aureus infection in a previously healthy person fitting the
surveillance case definition is identified, healthcare providers should immediately notify
their local health department of the case and send in a filled out Confidential Morbidity
Report (CMR) form. The local health departments will also fill out a separate case
report form and may need to follow up with local healthcare providers for additional
information.
CDPH information on MRSA and links to other sources of information are provided at
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/discond/Pages/MRSA.aspx.