Table 1.

The attitude of GPs towards indication for treatment of MRSA carriership.

	Frequency n/n (%)
Indication for eradication treatment
In all MRSA carriers	18/114 (16)
In selected cases	58/114 (51)
Planned/expected hospital visits	58/58 (100)
Infections with MRSA	42/58 (72)
Occupational reason (e.g., healthcare worker)	52/58 (90)
Patients’ request	10/58 (17)
In none of the MRSA carriers	1/114 (1)
Unknown	37/114 (32)
Reasons to refrain from treatment *
Potential self-limiting nature of MRSA carriership	57/96 ** (59)
Unfamiliarity with the policy	24/96 (25)
Treatment burden for patients	22/96 (23)
Lack of recommendation in the GP guideline	17/96 (18)
Patients’ request	17/96 (18)
Absence of benefit for the patient	11/96 (11)
Sense of incompetence to guide a treatment	10/96 (10)
Absence of benefit for the society	5/96 (5)
Costs for the patient	4/96 (4)
Other ***	19/96 (20)
Other ***	19/96 (20)

Legend: Indications for MRSA eradication according to Dutch general practitioners and reasons not to initiate treatment or refer for treatment. * Multiple answers possible. ** Eighteen GPs who answered in the previous question that all MRSA carriers have an indication for eradication treatment were not asked for reasons to refrain from treatment. *** Other reasons mentioned in free text: not a task for the GP, assumption of no curation, never considered, patient in palliative setting. GP = general practitioner.