Researchers led by the University of Iowa have developed the first comprehensive guidelines to reduce staph infections after surgery. Staph infections are a major concern in hospitals, with up to 85% of infections being caused by patients’ own bacteria. The team recommends three steps to reduce these infections: swab patients’ noses before surgery, apply an anti-bacterial nose ointment to patients who naturally have staph in their noses, and give specific antibiotics to patients with the MRSA strain of staph. The researchers believe that their guidelines could reduce infection rates by 71% for staph bacteria and 59% for other infectious agents.
https://now.uiowa.edu/news/2013/06/be-gone-bacteria