The relationship of organism pathogenicity and route of acquisition to antimicrobial susceptibilities.

Three hundred forty-eight isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were classified as representing nosocomial or community acquired infection or colonization. They were then tested against 11 antimicrobials, and the percentage of isolates that were susceptible to each antimicrobial was compared statistically among the classes. There were statistically significant (P value < 0.05, chi-square analysis) differences among isolates from several classes for chloramphenicol, imipenem, tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, ciprofloxacin, and gentamicin.