Background: Hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections (MRSA BSIs) are associated with serious morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Of all MRSA BSIs at our academic medical center, 63% occurred in the oncology units. A multidisciplinary team was formed to address the improvement opportunity: the clinical nurse specialist, hospital epidemiologist, unit leaders, nurse champions and representatives from infection prevention, pharmacy and information technology. The goal was to decrease the incidence of hospital-onset MRSA BSI in the oncology wards by 10 infections in 2016 by implementing daily chlorohexidine (CHG) bathing and weekly nasal povidone-iodine antisepsis in July 2016. Methods: The strategically targeting oncology with povidone-iodine nasal antisepsis and bathing with CHG Staph reduction initiative (STOP-BSI) was a quality improvement project consisting of daily CHG baths for all oncology patients and nasal povidone-iodine on admission and weekly thereafter. Nurses and patient care technicians were trained on how to administer CHG treatments. Education was also provided to patients on how to use CHG bath wipes to self-administer the nasal antisepsis. Education resources were created to help answer concerns of the staff, patient, or family, and an escalation process was developed for treatment refusal. CHG bath audits were performed to measure compliance and to identify barriers to the process. Results: By the end of 2016, the number of infections decreased by 5 on the oncology units. The number of infections continued to decrease each year. The bone marrow transplant (BMT) unit decreased from 8 infections in 2015 to 3 in 2018. The hematology oncology unit infections decreased from 5 infections in 2015 to 0 in 2018. The medical oncology unit infections decreased from 2 infections in 2015 to 0 in 2018. The CLABSI rates per 1,000 line days trended downward after some time. Conclusions: Implementing daily CHG baths and weekly povidone-iodine nasal antisepsis reduced the number of MRSA BSI infections in the oncology population. The CLABSI rates decreased after barriers to the process were removed.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None