Preoperative MRSA screening using a simple questionnaire prior elective total joint replacement

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the management and results of our standarized protocol for preoperative identification of MRSA colonisation in patients undergoing primary total hip and knee replacement procedures. Following hospital protocol, between January 2016 and June 2019 37,745 patients awaiting elective joint replacement underwent a standardized questionnaire to assess the risk of MRSA infection, identifying patients requiring preoperative MRSA screening. An evaluation of the questionnaire identified effective questions for identifying infected patients. Furthermore, an analysis evaluated the impact of comorbidities or Charlson Comorbidity Index scores on positive MRSA colonization. Additionally, we evaluated the cost savings of targeted testing compared to testing all surgery patients. Of the 37,745 patients, 8.057 (21.3