Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection is associated with increased mortality.
Methicillin resistance is a widespread and major source of treatment complication in Staphylococcus aureus infections. Whether infections with methicillin-resistant S. aureus are associated with a worse clinical outcome, such as higher mortality, has remained controversial. Analyzing data from a large, global multicenter study, Hanberger et al. demonstrate that methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections are associated with approximately 50% higher mortality in the intensive care unit and significantly more frequent among critically ill patients than infections with methicillin-susceptible S. aureus. These findings call for the implementation or continuation of active methicillin-resistant S. aureus surveillance measures.
Pathogen Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA. motto@niaid.nih.gov
Michael
M
Otto