Why is a MRSA infection a serious concern in hospitals?

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria that can be easily transmitted within hospitals often through the hands of physicians, nurses and other hospital personnel that acquire it after being in contact with a patient that carries the bacteria in his/her skin.

Staphylococcus aureus has a tendency to cause skin infections, and thus can cause serious infections of surgical wounds. It also likes to stick to the type of material used for medical devices such as catheters and breathing tubes, making blood stream infections and pneumonias common and life-threatening complications of Staphylococcus aureus in the hospitalized patient.

Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus is particularly problematic because there are fewer antibiotics that can be used to treat it (compared to methicillin staphylococcus aureus.)

This highlights the importance of hand washing by health care workers before and after examining each patient.