<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>

<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> is a bacterium that can cause a variety of illnesses through suppurative or nonsuppurative (toxin-mediated) means. <i>S aureus</i> is a common cause of skin and skin structure infections as well as osteoarticular infections in the pediatric population. <i>S aureus</i> is also identified in cases of septicemia, infective endocarditis, pneumonia, ocular infections, and central nervous system infections. To design appropriate empirical therapy, pediatricians should be knowledgeable about the resistance patterns of <i>S aureus</i> in their communities, including methicillin and clindamycin resistance. This article reviews the microbiology, colonization and transmission, and antibiotic resistance of and clinical diseases caused by <i>S aureus.</i>