title: Infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among hospital employees.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the spectrum of clinical infection caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in healthcare workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two Veterans Affairs hospitals in which methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) is endemic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five employees presenting to employee health or infectious disease clinic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All employees had had direct exposure to patients colonized with MRSA. Employee infections included cellulitis, impetigo, folliculitis, paronychia, and conjunctivitis. MRSA was isolated from all clinically infected sites and from the anterior nares of two employees. Three employees received a variety of ineffective oral antimicrobials before MRSA was recognized as the causative agent. All infections responded to appropriate therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Employees of hospitals with endemic MRSA may acquire MRSA infection. Presentation in our employees was that of relatively uncomplicated soft tissue infection, but several employees received inappropriate therapy before bacteriologic diagnosis. We recommend that culture and susceptibility testing be obtained prior to institution of therapy when hospital employees present with soft tissue infection.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Section, VA Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15240.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Muder
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brennen
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Goetz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008875:Middle Aged; D016712:Mupirocin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010414:Pennsylvania; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D012293:Rifampin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D016712:Mupirocin; D012293:Rifampin