Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (CA-MRSA)
| Course Id | 250411 |
| Course Name | Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (CA-MRSA) |
| Course Catagory | Respiratory Care, Nursing and General Healthcare |
| Course Price | 33.54 |
| Course CEU | 3 |
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to:
- Define CA-MRSA, distinguish it from healthcare-associated MRSA on clinical, epidemiologic, and molecular grounds, and describe the scope and public health burden of CA-MRSA infection.
- Describe the microbiological and molecular features that characterize CA-MRSA strains, including the mecA gene, the altered penicillin-binding protein PBP2a, the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) element, Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), and the predominant USA300 clone.
- Discuss the role of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the surveillance, prevention, professional and public education, and research that surround CA-MRSA.
- Identify the clinical signs and symptoms of CA-MRSA across the full spectrum of disease, from uncomplicated skin and soft tissue infection to invasive, life-threatening syndromes.
- Discuss the diagnostic evaluation and evidence-based treatment of CA-MRSA, including the central role of incision and drainage, appropriate oral and intravenous antimicrobial options, vancomycin use, and decolonization.
- Explain evidence-based strategies for preventing the transmission of MRSA in the open community, including the CDC framework of the “five C’s” of transmission.
- Explain how MRSA becomes colonized and transmitted in congregate settings such as classrooms and schools, athletic programs, and correctional facilities, and describe the control measures appropriate to each.
- Recognize special populations at elevated risk for CA-MRSA and situate the pathogen within the broader landscape of antimicrobial stewardship and resistance.