ABSTRACT

This chapter presents a case study of a 42-year-old female who was presented to the accident and emergency department with a left-sided weakness. It provides a discussion on clinical management, prevention, epidemiology, biology, and pathology of this case. In order to monitor her intracranial pressure, an intracranial pressure probe (ICP) was inserted in theatre. Her methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) triple-site screening swabs on admission to the ITU were negative. Infection prevention and control policies for the management of MRSA are universal in hospitals in the UK. MRSA was first described in the early 1960s, with outbreaks reported soon after its discovery. The organism is currently widespread in both healthcare (HA-MRSA) settings and the community (CA-MRSA) with five (of six) different clones predominating globally. The epidemiology is markedly different between HA-MRSA and CA-MRSA. It is believed that the most common route of transmission of MRSA is by the contaminated hands of healthcare workers.