Staphylococcus aureus infections in hemodialysis: what a nephrologist should know.

Staphylococcus aureus is a formidable pathogen that has the ability to colonize approximately half the dialysis population without any sign of disease but is also capable of causing wound and tissue infections; fulminant septicemia; and chronic, difficult-to-eradicate and often foreign body-related infections. S. aureus is the main cause of infectious morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients. This review highlights the importance of S. aureus infections in daily hemodialysis practice from a clinical viewpoint, starting from some key issues in the pathogenesis of staphylococcal infections.