Watch for MRSA in children with severe eczema. (Community-Acquired Disease).(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)(Brief Article)

NEW ORLEANS -- More pediatric eczema patients are presenting with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection, including some community-acquired infections, Dr. Denise W. Metry said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Dr. Metry described an infant who was admitted to her institution, Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, with a long history of severe eczema. He had been treated several times with multiple courses of antibiotics for secondary infection and had been in and out of the hospital for eczema flares.

During one of his many visits to the hospital, Keflex was prescribed for a suspected secondary infection, which did not improve. He was brought back several days later, along with his 6-year-old sister, who had developed an abscess as well. Both were found to have isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).

More alarming, though, is the fact that now "what we're seeing is kids who have no contact with a hospital whatsoever-- otherwise healthy kids--coming in with MRSA infection on top of their eczema," Dr. Metry said. In fact, she estimated that as much as 70% of the S. aureus infections in her outpatient ...