Tea Tree Oil as an Agent for MRSA Decolonization

 

ABSTRACT

Background: MRSA infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Due to concerns about increasing antibiotic resistance, alternative therapies are being considered to prevent and treat MRSA infections. Tea tree oil preparations have been shown to have antimicrobial properties, including against MRSA, in in vitro studies. The purpose of this review is to investigate the effects of topical tea tree oil preparations as an eradication agent for patients colonized with MRSA.

Methods: An exhaustive online medical literature search was conducted using MEDLINE-Ovid, Web of Science, and CINAHL using the keywords: MRSA and tea tree oil. Eligible studies were assessed using the GRADE system.

Results: Two randomized controlled trials met inclusion criteria for this systematic review. One RCT (N=224) found that tea tree oil preparations were effective as MRSA eradication regimens, although slightly less effective than the routine treatment regimen.. Another study (N=30) found that topical tea tree oil preparations were more effective than routine treatment regimens in decolonizing patients with MRSA, although the results were not statistically significant due to small patient sample size.

Conclusion: Tea tree oil has been shown to have activity against MRSA both in vivo and in vitro. However, studies investigating the use of tea tree oil as agent for MRSA decolonization do not provide strong enough evidence for its induction into universally used treatment regimens. Tea tree oil is safe and well tolerated by patients and can be considered as an alternative agent to eradicate MRSA from patients who are unable or unwilling to follow current standard of care treatment regimens.

Keywords: MRSA, tea tree oil

Kremsreiter

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REVIEWED STUDIES:

Dryden M, Dailly S, Crouch M. A randomized, controlled trial of tea tree topical preparations versus a standard topical regimen for the clearance of MRSA colonization. Journal of Hospital Infection. 2004;56(4):283-286. doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2004.01.008.

Caelli M, Porteous J, Carson C, Heller R, Riley T. Tea tree oil as an alternative topical decolonization agent for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Journal of Hospital Infection. 2000;46(3):236-237. doi:10.1053/jhin.2000.0830.

 

AUTHOR:  Andrea Kremsreiter is currently completing her second year in the School of PA Studies at Pacific University, Oregon.  She will graduate with an MS in Physician Assistant Studies in August, 2016.