[Staphylococcus aureus: role and impact in the treatment of nosocomial pneumonia].
BACKGROUND
Staphylococcus aureus (SA) has acquired a leading role in nosocomial pneumonia in terms of both frequency and severity, and poses therapeutic problems, namely antibiotic resistance and difficulties in the management of anti-staphylococcal drugs.


BACKGROUND
Epidemiological data confirm that SA is implicated in almost a quarter nosocomial pneumonias, of which about a half are due to methicillin resistant SA (MRSA) in France. The pathophysiology of these infections most often involves inhalation following oropharyngeal carriage. In addition to the risk factors common to all nosocomial pneumonias there are the particular roles of head injury and coma, leading to an increased frequency of SA infection in neuro-surgical patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The non-specific clinical picture, the grave prognosis of these pneumonias and the ineffectiveness against MRSA of the antibiotics used in the treatment of Gram negative infections make empirical treatment difficult.


CONCLUSIONS
In addition to the antibiotics classically active against SA (notably methicillin for sensitive strains and glycopeptides for MRSA) new agents may allow improvement in the treatment of these patients, even if their place is not yet definitively established.
Benhamou
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Service de Pneumologie Hôpital de Bois-Guillaume, CHU de Rouen, France. daniel.benhamou@chu-rouen.fr
Carrié
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AS
Lecomte
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F
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D011023:Pneumonia, Staphylococcal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents