Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the practice of otolaryngology--an emerging community acquired organism?

Soon after antibiotics were introduced to treat bacterial infections, resistance to these agents began to emerge. Staphylococcus aureus, a common organism in human infection, quickly became resistant to penicillin; however, semisynthetic penicillins seemed to have tremendous staying power. The recent emergence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) created a difficult problem in treating many hospital-acquired infections soon after it was discovered. However, now it appears to be spreading into the community at large. Although newer antibiotics have been developed to help manage this threat, multiple-drug resistance remains a fear among healthcare professionals. Eradication of MRSA appears to be an unachievable goal at this time, so attention has focused on decreasing the spread of this organism, often through simple hand-washing protocols. The continued spread of MRSA will have tremendous impact on the practice of medicine and otolaryngology during the next decade and beyond.