Additional costs of enhanced staphylococcal screening
| Activity | Resources | Quantity/price |
|---|---|---|
| Preassessment screening | Swabs (nasal; perineal; ±wounds; urine) | NAC |
| Patient counselling; swabbing; writing laboratory form; tag patient notes | NAC | |
| Laboratory process | Transport and booking | NAC |
| Urine microscopy; swabs plated out onto agar | NAC | |
| Identify and confirm colonies with Staphylase kit | £103/kit, £0.035 per test | |
| Purity plate (blood agar) | BA plate: £0.18 test | |
| VITEK ID and susceptibilities; reagents and BMS time | Vitek Card £4.00, CLED purity plate £0.17, consumables £0.30, 25 min BMS time £6.33 | |
| Reporting | Microbiologist | 1 hour (medic) £55, 5 min to authorise |
| Preassessment action (staff time) | 1 hour (band 5 nurse): £12.50, 10 min per patient | |
| Topical clearance | Consultant alert and action | 1 hour (medic) £55, 5 min |
| Secretarial GP letter | 1 hour (secretary) £9.00, 5 min | |
| GP action | 1 hour (salaried GP): £35, 10 min | |
| Naseptin (5 days) | £2.45 per tube | |
| Chlorhexidine gluconate 4% bath (5 days)* | £5.25 per 500 mL |
*Not all patients received the full 5 day course of chlorhexidine washes.
GP, general practitioner; NAC, no additional cost.