Nosocomial-acquired sab

Up to 20% of nosocomial bacteremia is caused by S. aureus (Wisplinghoff H et al. 2004). This is caused by the increasing use of intravascular catheters. Patients with hospital-acquired SAB are usually older, often have one or more secondary diseases, an i.v. catheter, respiratory disease, or a surgical wound. Approximately 1/5 of patients develop metastatic complications. Infectious endocarditis (IE) is involved in 6-7% of cases. 20-30% of patients die from their bacteremia. In the U.S., nosocomial S. aureus infections are often MRSA bacteria. This in turn is the cause of more difficult therapy and thus higher treatment costs.

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