The present study has several limitations, such as the quasi-experimental design of the PCR intervention study and the second-best approach that was needed to estimate the time to end of isolation measures of the 35 patients in the IDI study for whom PCR testing was not used to change isolation measures.
Yearly audit of application of isolation measures shows now a correct patient placement in around 90% of cases, whereas audit on quality of environmental cleansing has shown insufficient adherence.
We assessed the effectiveness of isolation measures by means of a stochastic, population-based transmission model, building on previously described models [ 17, 18].
Our findings emphasize the need for isolation of and preventive measures for children with immunodeficiency, as reported (26 ).
The effectiveness of isolation measures in reducing the incidence of MRSA colonization and infection in hospital inpatients is however not yet quantitatively strong, due to lack of consideration of confounders and appropriate statistical analyses [ 55].
For this type of situation, it may be reasonable to assume the β (t, τ) can be decomposed separately in different stages of the epidemic, pre- and post- implementation of isolation measures, for example.
Thus, the process of reclassification was not associated with the timing of isolation measures shown to have the greatest impact in preventing infection transmission.
By analysing such surveillance data using stochastic transmission models and making use of data augmentation techniques it is possible to simultaneously estimate the number of undetected MRSA positive patient days and the efficacy of isolation measures in reducing transmission using routinely collected MRSA surveillance data.
Furthermore, estimating the effectiveness of isolation measures in reducing transmission requires quantifying the relative transmission rates of both known and isolated and unobserved and unisolated MRSA positive patients.
However, the potential benefit of rapid test results would increase in line with the effectiveness of isolation measures.
