Staphylococcus aureus is a ubiquitous organism that colonizes the skin/nares and can cause invasive disease.
MRSA risk factors include:
Health care exposure
Antimicrobial use
Incarceration
IDU
Shared equipment
Others
Pyogenic skin and soft tissue infection
MSK infection
Endocarditis
Abscess
Pneumonia
Infection of prosthetic devices
Others
MSSA - Standard precautions.
MRSA - Requires contact precautions. Add droplet precautions if patient has a cough.