Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Etiology, At-risk Populations and Treatment

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium responsible for difficult-to-treat infections in humans. It may also be referred to as multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. MRSA is by definition a strain of Staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to a large group of antibiotics called the beta-lactams, which include the penicillins and the cephalosporins. MRSA was identified as a nosocomial pathogen in the 1960's. MRSA acquisition has traditionally been linked to health care settings and specific patient populations. Established risk factors for MRSA infection include older age, recent hospitalization or surgery, past antimicrobial therapy, residence in a long-term care facility, dialysis, indwelling percutaneous devices and cathethers. This new and important book gathers the latest research from around the globe in this field and focuses on such topics as: risk factors for MRSA in a pediatric surgical ward, MRSA treatments, the anatomy of an outbreak, and others.