Background Necrotizing fasciitis is a life-threatening infectionrequiring urgent surgical and medical therapy. Staphylococcusaureus has been a very uncommon cause of necrotizing fasciitis,but we have recently noted an alarming number of these infectionscaused by community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus(MRSA).
Methods We reviewed the records of 843 patients whose woundcultures grew MRSA at our center from January 15, 2003, to April15, 2004. Among this cohort, 14 were identified as patientspresenting from the community with clinical and intraoperativefindings of necrotizing fasciitis, necrotizing myositis, orboth.
Results The median age of the patients was 46 years (range,28 to 68), and 71 percent were men. Coexisting conditions orrisk factors included current or past injection-drug use (43percent); previous MRSA infection, diabetes, and chronic hepatitisC (21 percent each); and cancer and human immunodeficiency virusinfection or the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (7 percenteach). Four patients (29 percent) had no serious coexistingconditions or risk factors. All patients received combined medicaland surgical therapy, and none died, but they had serious complications,including the need for reconstructive surgery and prolongedstay in the intensive care unit. Wound cultures were monomicrobialfor MRSA in 86 percent, and 40 percent of patients (4 of 10)for whom blood cultures were obtained had positive results.All MRSA isolates were susceptible in vitro to clindamycin,trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole, and rifampin. All recoveredisolates belonged to the same genotype (multilocus sequencetype ST8, pulsed-field type USA300, and staphylococcal cassettechromosome mec type IV [SCCmecIV]) and carried the PantonValentineleukocidin (pvl), lukD, and lukE genes, but no other toxin geneswere detected.
Conclusions Necrotizing fasciitis caused by community-associatedMRSA is an emerging clinical entity. In areas in which community-associatedMRSA infection is endemic, empirical treatment of suspectednecrotizing fasciitis should include antibiotics predictablyactive against this pathogen.
Source Information
From the Divisions of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine (L.G.M., G.R., A.S.B., B.S.) and the Department of Internal Medicine (L.G.M., G.R., J.P., A.S.B., B.S.), HarborUCLA Medical Center and the Los Angeles Biomedical Institute at HarborUCLA, Torrance; the University of California, San Francisco (F.P.-R.); and St. Mary Medical Center, Long Beach (S.M., A.W.T., T.O.P.) all in California.
MRSA in the Community
Chapman A. L.N., Greig J. M., Innes J. A., Hageman J. C., Lynfield R., Fridkin S. K., Miller L. G., Perdreau-Remington F., Spellberg B.
Extract |
Full Text |
PDF
N Engl J Med 2005;
353:530-532, Aug 4, 2005.
Correspondence
This article has been cited by other articles:
Pantosti, A., Venditti, M.
(2009). What is MRSA?. Eur Respir J
34: 1190-1196
[Abstract][Full Text]
Crawford, S. E., David, M. Z., Glikman, D., King, K. J., Boyle-Vavra, S., Daum, R. S.
(2009). Clinical Importance of Purulence in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Skin and Soft Tissue Infections. J Am Board Fam Med
22: 647-654
[Abstract][Full Text]
Napolitano, L. M., Brunsvold, M. E., Reddy, R. C., Hyzy, R. C.
(2009). Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pneumonia and ARDS: 1-Year Follow-Up. Chest
136: 1407-1412
[Abstract][Full Text]
Larsen, A. R., Goering, R., Stegger, M., Lindsay, J. A., Gould, K. A., Hinds, J., Sorum, M., Westh, H., Boye, K., Skov, R.
(2009). Two Distinct Clones of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with the Same USA300 Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis Profile: a Potential Pitfall for Identification of USA300 Community-Associated MRSA. J. Clin. Microbiol.
47: 3765-3768
[Abstract][Full Text]
Nguyen, H. M., Graber, C. J.
(2009). Limitations of antibiotic options for invasive infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: is combination therapy the answer?. J Antimicrob Chemother
0: dkp377v1-dkp377
[Abstract][Full Text]
de Moya, M. A., del Carmen, M. G., Allain, R. M., Hirschberg, R. E., Shepard, J.-A. O., Kradin, R. L.
(2009). Case 33-2009 -- A 35-Year-Old Woman with Fever, Abdominal Pain, and Hypotension after Cesarean Section. NEJM
361: 1689-1697
[Full Text]
Puvanendran, R., Huey, J. C. M., Pasupathy, S.
(2009). Necrotizing fasciitis. cfp
55: 981-987
[Abstract][Full Text]
Kosowska-Shick, K., Clark, C., Pankuch, G. A., McGhee, P., Dewasse, B., Beachel, L., Appelbaum, P. C.
(2009). Activity of Telavancin against Staphylococci and Enterococci Determined by MIC and Resistance Selection Studies. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.
53: 4217-4224
[Abstract][Full Text]
Aragon-Sanchez, J., Quintana-Marrero, Y., Lazaro-Martinez, J. L., Hernandez-Herrero, M. J., Garcia-Morales, E., Beneit-Montesinos, J. V., Cabrera-Galvan, J. J.
(2009). Necrotizing Soft-Tissue Infections in the Feet of Patients With Diabetes: Outcome of Surgical Treatment and Factors Associated With Limb Loss and Mortality. INT J LOW EXTREM WOUNDS
8: 141-146
[Abstract]
Caspers, P., Bury, L., Gaucher, B., Heim, J., Shapiro, S., Siegrist, S., Schmitt-Hoffmann, A., Thenoz, L., Urwyler, H.
(2009). In Vitro and In Vivo Properties of Dihydrophthalazine Antifolates, a Novel Family of Antibacterial Drugs. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.
53: 3620-3627
[Abstract][Full Text]
Parta, M., Goebel, M., Matloobi, M., Stager, C., Musher, D. M.
(2009). Identification of Methicillin-Resistant or Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus in Blood Cultures and Wound Swabs by GeneXpert. J. Clin. Microbiol.
47: 1609-1610
[Full Text]
Li, M., Diep, B. A., Villaruz, A. E., Braughton, K. R., Jiang, X., DeLeo, F. R., Chambers, H. F., Lu, Y., Otto, M.
(2009). From the Cover: Evolution of virulence in epidemic community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
106: 5883-5888
[Abstract][Full Text]
Ellis, M. W., Griffith, M. E., Jorgensen, J. H., Hospenthal, D. R., Mende, K., Patterson, J. E.
(2009). Presence and Molecular Epidemiology of Virulence Factors in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains Colonizing and Infecting Soldiers. J. Clin. Microbiol.
47: 940-945
[Abstract][Full Text]
Park, K.-H., Jung, S.-I., Jung, Y.-S., Shin, J.-H., Hwang, J.-H.
(2009). Marine Bacteria as a Leading Cause of Necrotizing Fasciitis in Coastal Areas of South Korea. Am J Trop Med Hyg
80: 646-650
[Abstract][Full Text]
Clark, C., Ednie, L. M., Lin, G., Smith, K., Kosowska-Shick, K., McGhee, P., Dewasse, B., Beachel, L., Caspers, P., Gaucher, B., Mert, G., Shapiro, S., Appelbaum, P. C.
(2009). Antistaphylococcal Activity of Dihydrophthalazine Antifolates, a Family of Novel Antibacterial Drugs. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.
53: 1353-1361
[Abstract][Full Text]
Bellapianta, J. M., Ljungquist, K., Tobin, E., Uhl, R.
(2009). Necrotizing Fasciitis. J Am Acad Orthop Surg
17: 174-182
[Abstract][Full Text]
Rehm, S. J., Boucher, H., Levine, D., Campion, M., Eisenstein, B. I., Vigliani, G. A., Corey, G.R., Abrutyn, E.
(2008). Daptomycin versus vancomycin plus gentamicin for treatment of bacteraemia and endocarditis due to Staphylococcus aureus: subset analysis of patients infected with methicillin-resistant isolates. J Antimicrob Chemother
62: 1413-1421
[Abstract][Full Text]
Memmi, G., Filipe, S. R., Pinho, M. G., Fu, Z., Cheung, A.
(2008). Staphylococcus aureus PBP4 Is Essential for {beta}-Lactam Resistance in Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Strains. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.
52: 3955-3966
[Abstract][Full Text]
Dai, C., Ma, Y., Zhao, Z., Zhao, R., Wang, Q., Wu, Y., Cao, Z., Li, W.
(2008). Mucroporin, the First Cationic Host Defense Peptide from the Venom of Lychas mucronatus. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.
52: 3967-3972
[Abstract][Full Text]
Seybold, U., Halvosa, J. S., White, N., Voris, V., Ray, S. M., Blumberg, H. M.
(2008). Emergence of and Risk Factors for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus of Community Origin in Intensive Care Nurseries. Pediatrics
122: 1039-1046
[Abstract][Full Text]
Adeyemi, O. A., Qi, C., Zembower, T. R., Ison, M. G., Grant, T. H., Hartigan, B. J., Malczynski, M., Stosor, V.
(2008). Invasive Infections with Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus after Kidney Transplantation. J. Clin. Microbiol.
46: 2809-2813
[Abstract][Full Text]
Hersh, A. L., Chambers, H. F., Maselli, J. H., Gonzales, R.
(2008). National Trends in Ambulatory Visits and Antibiotic Prescribing for Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections. Arch Intern Med
168: 1585-1591
[Abstract][Full Text]
Baker, J. R., McEneaney, P. A., Prezioso, J. L., Adajar, M. A., Goldflies, M. L., Zambrano, C. H.
(2008). Aggressive Management of Necrotizing Fasciitis Through a Multidisciplinary Approach Using Minimal Surgical Procedures: A Case Report. Foot Ankle Spec
1: 160-167
[Abstract]
Perlroth, J., Kuo, M., Tan, J., Bayer, A. S., Miller, L. G.
(2008). Adjunctive Use of Rifampin for the Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus Infections: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Arch Intern Med
168: 805-819
[Abstract][Full Text]
Park, B., Nizet, V., Liu, G. Y.
(2008). Role of Staphylococcus aureus Catalase in Niche Competition against Streptococcus pneumoniae. J. Bacteriol.
190: 2275-2278
[Abstract][Full Text]
REHM, S. J.
(2008). Staphylococcus aureus: The new adventures of a legendary pathogen. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
75: 177-192
[Abstract][Full Text]
Olsen, R. J., Burns, K. M., Chen, L., Kreiswirth, B. N., Musser, J. M.
(2008). Severe Necrotizing Fasciitis in a Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Patient Caused by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J. Clin. Microbiol.
46: 1144-1147
[Abstract][Full Text]
Feder, H. M. Jr
(2008). Occult Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Abscesses in 2 Pediatric Patients. CLIN PEDIATR
47: 176-179
[Abstract]
Diep, B. A., Chambers, H. F., Graber, C. J., Szumowski, J. D., Miller, L. G., Han, L. L., Chen, J. H., Lin, F., Lin, J., Phan, T. H., Carleton, H. A., McDougal, L. K., Tenover, F. C., Cohen, D. E., Mayer, K. H., Sensabaugh, G. F., Perdreau-Remington, F.
(2008). Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant, Community-Associated, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clone USA300 in Men Who Have Sex with Men. ANN INTERN MED
148: 249-257
[Abstract][Full Text]
Marcotte, A. L., Trzeciak, M. A.
(2008). Community-acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: An Emerging Pathogen in Orthopaedics. J Am Acad Orthop Surg
16: 98-106
[Abstract][Full Text]
Palazzolo-Ballance, A. M., Reniere, M. L., Braughton, K. R., Sturdevant, D. E., Otto, M., Kreiswirth, B. N., Skaar, E. P., DeLeo, F. R.
(2008). Neutrophil Microbicides Induce a Pathogen Survival Response in Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J. Immunol.
180: 500-509
[Abstract][Full Text]
James, L, Gorwitz, R J, Jones, R C, Watson, J T, Hageman, J C, Jernigan, D B, Lord, Y, Caballes, N, Cortes, C, Golash, R G, Price, J S, Gerber, S I
(2008). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections among healthy full-term newborns. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed.
93: F40-F44
[Abstract][Full Text]
Gupta, K., MacIntyre, A., Vanasse, G., Dembry, L.-M.
(2007). Trends in Prescribing -Lactam Antibiotics for Treatment of Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections. J. Clin. Microbiol.
45: 3930-3934
[Abstract][Full Text]
Sampathkumar, P.
(2007). Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus: The Latest Health Scare. Mayo Clin Proc.
82: 1463-1467
[Full Text]
Ferry, T., Etienne, J.
(2007). Community acquired MRSA in Europe. BMJ
335: 947-948
[Full Text]
Rajendran, P. M., Young, D., Maurer, T., Chambers, H., Perdreau-Remington, F., Ro, P., Harris, H.
(2007). Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Cephalexin for Treatment of Uncomplicated Skin Abscesses in a Population at Risk for Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.
51: 4044-4048
[Abstract][Full Text]
Ellis, M. W., Griffith, M. E., Dooley, D. P., McLean, J. C., Jorgensen, J. H., Patterson, J. E., Davis, K. A., Hawley, J. S., Regules, J. A., Rivard, R. G., Gray, P. J., Ceremuga, J. M., DeJoseph, M. A., Hospenthal, D. R.
(2007). Targeted Intranasal Mupirocin To Prevent Colonization and Infection by Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains in Soldiers: a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.
51: 3591-3598
[Abstract][Full Text]
Schlievert, P. M.
(2007). Chitosan Malate Inhibits Growth and Exotoxin Production of Toxic Shock Syndrome-Inducing Staphylococcus aureus Strains and Group A Streptococci. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.
51: 3056-3062
[Abstract][Full Text]
Ellington, M. J., Hope, R., Ganner, M., Ganner, M., East, C., Brick, G., Kearns, A. M.
(2007). Is Panton-Valentine leucocidin associated with the pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia in the UK?. J Antimicrob Chemother
60: 402-405
[Abstract][Full Text]
Brady, J. M., Stemper, M. E., Weigel, A., Chyou, P.-H., Reed, K. D., Shukla, S. K.
(2007). Sporadic "Transitional" Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains from Health Care Facilities in the United States. J. Clin. Microbiol.
45: 2654-2661
[Abstract][Full Text]
Daum, R. S.
(2007). Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections Caused by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. NEJM
357: 380-390
[Full Text]
Popovich, K., Hota, B., Rice, T., Aroutcheva, A., Weinstein, R. A.
(2007). Phenotypic Prediction Rule for Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J. Clin. Microbiol.
45: 2293-2295
[Abstract][Full Text]
Davis, S. L., Perri, M. B., Donabedian, S. M., Manierski, C., Singh, A., Vager, D., Haque, N. Z., Speirs, K., Muder, R. R., Robinson-Dunn, B., Hayden, M. K., Zervos, M. J.
(2007). Epidemiology and Outcomes of Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection. J. Clin. Microbiol.
45: 1705-1711
[Abstract][Full Text]
Credito, K., Lin, G., Appelbaum, P. C.
(2007). Activity of Daptomycin Alone and in Combination with Rifampin and Gentamicin against Staphylococcus aureus Assessed by Time-Kill Methodology. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.
51: 1504-1507
[Abstract][Full Text]
Morgan, W. R., Caldwell, M. D., Brady, J. M., Stemper, M. E., Reed, K. D., Shukla, S. K.
(2007). Necrotizing Fasciitis Due to a Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus Isolate Harboring an Enterotoxin Gene Cluster. J. Clin. Microbiol.
45: 668-671
[Abstract][Full Text]
Bonnstetter, K. K., Wolter, D. J., Tenover, F. C., McDougal, L. K., Goering, R. V.
(2007). Rapid Multiplex PCR Assay for Identification of USA300 Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates. J. Clin. Microbiol.
45: 141-146
[Abstract][Full Text]
Kilic, A., Li, H., Stratton, C. W., Tang, Y.-W.
(2006). Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns and Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec Types of, as Well as Panton-Valentine Leukocidin Occurrence among, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Children and Adults in Middle Tennessee. J. Clin. Microbiol.
44: 4436-4440
[Abstract][Full Text]
Kaka, A. S., Rueda, A. M., Shelburne, S. A. III, Hulten, K., Hamill, R. J., Musher, D. M.
(2006). Bactericidal activity of orally available agents against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J Antimicrob Chemother
58: 680-683
[Abstract][Full Text]
(2006). Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Skin Infections Among Tattoo Recipients--Ohio, Kentucky, and Vermont, 2004-2005. JAMA
296: 385-386
[Full Text]
Cheng, N.-C., Chang, S.-C., Kuo, Y.-S., Wang, J.-L., Tang, Y.-B.
(2006). Necrotizing Fasciitis Caused by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Resulting in Death. A Report of Three Cases. JBJS
88: 1107-1110
[Full Text]
Gonzalez, B. E., Teruya, J., Mahoney, D. H. Jr, Hulten, K. G., Edwards, R., Lamberth, L. B., Hammerman, W. A., Mason, E. O. Jr, Kaplan, S. L.
(2006). Venous Thrombosis Associated With Staphylococcal Osteomyelitis in Children. Pediatrics
117: 1673-1679
[Abstract][Full Text]
Moellering, R. C. Jr.
(2006). The growing menace of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.. ANN INTERN MED
144: 368-370
[Full Text]
Luong, T. T., Dunman, P. M., Murphy, E., Projan, S. J., Lee, C. Y.
(2006). Transcription Profiling of the mgrA Regulon in Staphylococcus aureus.. J. Bacteriol.
188: 1899-1910
[Abstract][Full Text]
McClure, J.-A., Conly, J. M., Lau, V., Elsayed, S., Louie, T., Hutchins, W., Zhang, K.
(2006). Novel multiplex PCR assay for detection of the staphylococcal virulence marker panton-valentine leukocidin genes and simultaneous discrimination of methicillin-susceptible from -resistant staphylococci.. J. Clin. Microbiol.
44: 1141-1144
[Abstract][Full Text]
Roberts, J. C., Krueger, R. L., Peak, K. K., Veguilla, W., Cannons, A. C., Amuso, P. T., Cattani, J.
(2006). Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Epidemic Clone USA300 in Isolates from Florida and Washington. J. Clin. Microbiol.
44: 225-226
[Abstract][Full Text]
Denis, O., Deplano, A., De Beenhouwer, H., Hallin, M., Huysmans, G., Garrino, M. G., Glupczynski, Y., Malaviolle, X., Vergison, A., Struelens, M. J.
(2005). Polyclonal emergence and importation of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains harbouring Panton-Valentine leucocidin genes in Belgium. J Antimicrob Chemother
56: 1103-1106
[Abstract][Full Text]
Gordon, R. J., Lowy, F. D.
(2005). Bacterial infections in drug users.. NEJM
353: 1945-1954
[Full Text]
McAleese, F., Murphy, E., Babinchak, T., Singh, G., Said-Salim, B., Kreiswirth, B., Dunman, P., O'Connell, J., Projan, S. J., Bradford, P. A.
(2005). Use of Ribotyping To Retrospectively Identify Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Phase 3 Clinical Trials for Tigecycline That Are Genotypically Related to Community-Associated Isolates. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.
49: 4521-4529
[Abstract][Full Text]
Adem, P. V., Montgomery, C. P., Husain, A. N., Koogler, T. K., Arangelovich, V., Humilier, M., Boyle-Vavra, S., Daum, R. S.
(2005). Staphylococcus aureus Sepsis and the Waterhouse-Friderichsen Syndrome in Children. NEJM
353: 1245-1251
[Abstract][Full Text]
Voyich, J. M., Braughton, K. R., Sturdevant, D. E., Whitney, A. R., Said-Salim, B., Porcella, S. F., Long, R. D., Dorward, D. W., Gardner, D. J., Kreiswirth, B. N., Musser, J. M., DeLeo, F. R.
(2005). Insights into Mechanisms Used by Staphylococcus aureus to Avoid Destruction by Human Neutrophils. J. Immunol.
175: 3907-3919
[Abstract][Full Text]
Boyle-Vavra, S., Ereshefsky, B., Wang, C.-C., Daum, R. S.
(2005). Successful Multiresistant Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Lineage from Taipei, Taiwan, That Carries Either the Novel Staphylococcal Chromosome Cassette mec (SCCmec) Type VT or SCCmec Type IV. J. Clin. Microbiol.
43: 4719-4730
[Abstract][Full Text]
Kowalski, T. J., Berbari, E. F., Osmon, D. R.
(2005). Epidemiology, Treatment, and Prevention of Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections. Mayo Clin Proc.
80: 1201-1208
[Abstract]
Chapman, A. L.N., Greig, J. M., Innes, J. A., Hageman, J. C., Lynfield, R., Fridkin, S. K., Miller, L. G., Perdreau-Remington, F., Spellberg, B.
(2005). MRSA in the Community. NEJM
353: 530-532
[Full Text]