Seminars in respiratory infections
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Semin Respir Infect · Sep 1994
ReviewMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a cause of community-acquired pneumonia--a critical review.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been recognized as a nosocomial pathogen in Europe and North America for 3 decades. More recently it has emerged as a problem in long-term care facilities. It is less frequently considered a pathogen in nonfacility, community-acquired infections, where it is most often seen in intravenous drug users. ⋯ In addition, these isolates are frequently resistant to a number of other antibiotics, with vancomycin and only antibiotic to have consistently shown activity against MRSA. Therefore, vancomycin remains the treatment of choice for infections caused by MRSA, although treatment failures have been reported. The use of alternative antibiotics should be based on results of susceptibility testing of the strain isolated from the patient.