Decolonization (medicine)

Decolonization, also bacterial decolonization, is a medical intervention that attempts to rid a patient of an antimicrobial resistant pathogen, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or antifungal-resistant Candida.

By pre-emptively treating patients who have become colonized with an antimicrobial resistant organism, the likelihood of the patient going on to develop life-threatening healthcare-associated infections is reduced. Common sites of bacterial colonization include the nasal passage, groin, oral cavity and skin.