Pneumonia Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Pneumonia, including details on symptoms, viral, bacterial, treatment, causes, walking pneumonia.

Panton-Valentine Leukocidin associated with community acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a case report and review of interim guidelines.

Baldwin LN, Lowe AD

Department of Anaesthetics, Kent and Sussex Hospital, Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 9JG, UK. alylowe@aol.com

We report a case of community acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia. The causative organism was positive for the toxin Panton-Valentine Leukocidin. This resulted in a severe pneumonia requiring a prolonged stay on our intensive care unit. This infection is becoming more common in the United Kingdom. It can cause a far more aggressive illness than the hospital acquired infection with a high mortality if it becomes an invasive infection. The Department of Health has recently produced interim guidelines for its treatment which we have also reviewed.

Published 27 June 2008 in Anaesthesia, 63(7): 764-6.
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