ABSTRACT
Nosocomial infections with strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) began to emerge in the 1960s, are increasing in frequency, and tend to have worse outcomes than infections due to methicillin-susceptible S aureus. Community-associated MRSA infections emerged in the 1990s. Community-associated MRSA strains have up to now been epidemiologically and bacteriologically distinct from hospital-associated MRSA strains, but in a new twist, MRSA strains that have so far been only community-associated are invading the hospital. Another worrisome trend is increasing resistance to vancomycin (Vancocin).
Footnotes
↵* Dr. Rehm has disclosed that she has served on the speaker’s bureaus of Cubist and Wyeth, has served on advisory boards for Cubist and Pfizer, and has received research support from Cubist.
- Copyright © 2008 The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. All Rights Reserved.