From early 2026, in line with national guidance, OUH is recommending a multi-site swabbing strategy, to include nose/throat and axillae/groin.
This will increase the sensitivity of an MRSA screen, from around 50 percent for a nose swab only to over 90 percent.
OUH staff only: visit the Infection Prevention and Control intranet for more information.
Sample type
Swabs from:
- Nose / Throat / Axillae / Groin
- Abnormal skin areas e.g. eczema, psoriasis, pressure ulcers, wounds more than 24 hours old
- Devices in situ more than 24 hours, e.g. catheter sites, PEG, IV sites (if VIP score >1), tracheostomy
Urine (CSU)
Specimen requirements
For Nose / Throat / Axillae / Groin swab use ∑-TRANSWAB® MW167S duo tube (white top)
Please note: if ∑-TRANSWAB® MW167S duo (white top) is not available, please use the swabs from two ∑-TRANSWAB® MW176S tubes (purple top), discarding one swab after inoculating the transport medium (as for the duo tube). The additional transport tube can also be discarded.
For all other swabs use ∑-TRANSWAB® MW176S tube (purple top)
MRSA Screening - Swab Collection Instructions (pdf, 276 KB)
Minimum volume
N/A
Frequency of test
Daily
Turnaround time
2 days
What to request on EPR
MRSA screen MCS
