Clinical and microbiological characteristics of communityacquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia


Submitted: 10 January 2012
Accepted: 6 March 2012
Published: 2 April 2012
Abstract Views: 2695
PDF: 1158
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

  • Eric Martin Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.
  • Jane Colmer-Hamood Microbiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.
  • Wesam Frandah Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.
  • Rishi Raj Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.
  • Kenneth Nugent Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections now occur in healthy adults in community settings. We searched the PubMed database to identify relevant articles on the clinical presentation, epidemiology, virulence, and treatment of community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) infections, including pneumonia. This information was summarized in a narrative review.MRSA infections cause approximately 30 infections per 100,000 people per year in the USA, and twenty percent of these infections are secondary to CA-MRSA. These community-acquired infections often involve the skin and subcutaneous tissue but can also involve visceral tissues such as the lung and bone. The overall mortality in patients with invasive disease is approximately 10%; it approaches 50% in patients with pneumonia. The bacterial isolates from these infections have the staphylococcal chromosome cassette mec types 4 and 5. This genetic characteristic produces beta-lactam resistance and helps distinguish these isolates from hospital- acquired MRSA, which usually have mec types 1-3. Some CA-MRSA isolates release the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), which causes neutropenia and tissue necrosis; other toxins also contribute to the virulence of these infections. Empiric therapy should include vancomycin or linezolid. CA-MRSA infections can have fulminant courses and high mortality rates. Physicians should consider these infections as possible emergencies with a high risk for organ system failure and shock.

Supporting Agencies

None

Martin, E., Colmer-Hamood, J., Frandah, W., Raj, R., & Nugent, K. (2012). Clinical and microbiological characteristics of communityacquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia. Chest Disease Reports, 2(1), e7. https://doi.org/10.4081/cdr.2.353

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations