Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus : A Primer for Dentists

ABSTRACTBackground and OverviewIn 2005 in the United States, an estimated 94,370 new, invasive infections and 18,650 deaths were associated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); most of these infections were in people with exposures in health care settings. MRSA also has emerged as a community-based pathogen, causing primarily skin infections that are not life-threatening, but occasionally causing more severe and invasive infections. The authors describe the history of MRSA; identify populations at greatest risk of experiencing MRSA colonization and infection; compare characteristics of MRSA infections occurring in health care and community settings; and summarize strategies, based on U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations and the literature, to prevent transmission of MRSA in dental offices.Conclusions and Clinical ImplicationsStandard infection control precautions should be enforced strictly in all ambulatory care settings, including dental offices, to prevent facility-based transmission of MRSA and other infectious agents.