Increasing incidence of sterile-site infections due to non-multidrug-resistant, oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among hospitalized patients.

The incidence of community-associated, healthcare-associated, and hospital-acquired sterile-site infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates and the susceptibility of the isolates to non- beta -lactam antibiotics were evaluated for 549 hospitalized patients during a 3-year period. The incidence of community-associated MRSA infection increased significantly. The annual percentage of MRSA isolates from cases of healthcare-associated and hospital-acquired infection that were susceptible to 3 or more non- beta -lactam antibiotics increased significantly.