title: A literature review on community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the United States: clinical information for primary care nurse practitioners.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the state of the science of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in the United States to support the integration of current knowledge for primary care nurse practitioners' (PCNP) practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Published research limited to U.S. studies in MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Review from 1950 to the week of September 4, 2008. Investigations were identified through electronic search engines and databases. Manual searches were done of hard copy references in journal articles. Citations and reference lists for English language research studies of CA-MRSA in the United States were reviewed to identify additional research that fit evaluation criteria for this analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Until the late 1990s, healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) was the predominant cause of serious infections. Recently, CA-MRSA has caused infections in previously healthy nonhospitalized people. Major demographic and epidemiological differences exist between the two types of resistant bacteria; the emergence of CA-MRSA suggests new implications for primary care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PCNPs will undoubtedly treat MRSA infections and need a comprehensive understanding of the pathogenicity, diagnosis, and management of CA-MRSA to ensure expedient and appropriate treatment. This will help to prevent invasive disease as a result of improperly treated infections.
authors.affiliation: Family Nurse Practitioner Program, Rackham School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Harrietta, Michigan 49638, USA. barbara.barnes@baker.edu
authors.forename: Barbara E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Sampson
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002983:Clinical Competence; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000639:trends*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents