• Marcus Zervos.
• Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA. mzervos1@hfhs.org
• Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2008 Jan 1;9 Suppl 1:s29-34.

BackgroundIn the United States, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major cause of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs), and toxin-producing community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) strains are becoming the leading cause of SSTIs presenting to emergency departments and outpatient settings. Many of these infections can be treated with oral antibiotics. This review is intended to delineate the types of SSTIs that require antibiotic treatment and to explain which CA-MRSA SSTIs can be treated with oral antibacterial agents.MethodsReview of the literature related to the treatment of CA-MRSA SSTIs with oral antibacterial agents.ResultsOral antimicrobial agents are available for the treatment of MRSA infection, and most SSTIs caused by CA-MRSA can be treated with these oral agents in an outpatient setting. Variable susceptibilities have been observed for CA-MRSA vs. hospital-acquired MRSA, pointing up the need for clinicians to be vigilant in determining susceptibility patterns.ConclusionsThe growing prevalence of CA-MRSA in SSTIs and the increasing number of these infections observed in both the community and the hospital setting indicates that early, appropriate recognition and treatment are necessary. Many oral antimicrobial agents are available for the treatment of these infections.

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