Spectrum: Local Antimicrobial Stewardship, for Markham Stouffville Hospital

Clinical Evaluation

Diagnosis

Presence of Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) or Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the blood.

Bacteremia can be secondary to a primary S. aureus infection elsewhere such as soft tissue, bone, joint, pneumonia or vascular catheter.

S. aureus bacteremia can also result in subsequent seeding and infection of a sterile site such as heart valves or prosthetic devices.

It is imperative to look for sources and metastatic sites of infection in the setting of of S. aureus bacteremia.

Further Diagnostic Evaluation

Thorough clinical assessment should be performed to identify potential sources and metastatic sites of infection, for example:

  • Infective endocarditis (IE)

  • Cardiac device infection

  • Osteomyelitis

  • Septic arthritis

  • Prosthetic joint infection

  • Meningitis

  • Pneumonia

  • Soft tissue infection

  • Vascular-catheter related infection