Title:Pneumonia Due to Methicilin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): A Review
Volume: 8
Issue: 3
Author(s): Garyphallia Poulakou, Jessica Souto, Nina Kmet Lunacek and Jordi Rello
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Antimicrobials, CA-MRSA, linezolid, MRSA, pneumonia, vancomycin, pathogen, Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia, mecA gene
Abstract: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen in
recent decades, being responsible for an increasing proportion of patients with Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP) and
Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP). On the other hand, many areas in the world have experienced an alarming
emergence of infections and particularly pneumonias caused by the so-called Community-Acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA),
a genetically distinct strain, which shares common clinical and microbiological features with nosocomial MRSA. This
paper reviews the latest epidemiological and therapeutic data and discusses currently available and future treatment
options. A recent significant epidemiological feature is the “creep” observed in vancomycin minimal inhibitory
concentrations. As new clinical and PK data are available relating to the use of vancomycin and linezolid, which have
both been first-line options in the treatment of MRSA pneumonia in the last decade, recently issued guidelines and
arguments for their revision are discussed.
