title: Diagnosis and management of community-associated MRSA infections in children.
abstract: The history of antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus spans more than half a century. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has emerged as an almost ubiquitous pathogen in both the community and hospital settings. The predominant clone responsible for community-associated MRSA, USA300, is a highly successful pathogen, as demonstrated by its rapid global spread and associated morbidity and mortality. The management of MRSA infections in pediatric patients is complicated by the limited number of effective antibiotics that have been well-studied in children. The gold standard antimicrobial, vancomycin, has several shortcomings that have prompted the development of newer agents for the treatment of MRSA disease. Moreover, the emergence of vancomycin-intermediate or -resistant S. aureus, while uncommon, portends a potential new era of resistance that will require research and development of the next generation of antibiotics that act by novel mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Forchheimer 702D, Bronx, NY 10471, USA. calong@montefiore.org
authors.forename: Caroline B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Rebecca P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Madan
authors.forename: Betsy C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Herold
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D037521:Virulence Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D037521:Virulence Factors