Dear Corrections Colleagues,

Several months ago I was sent an email from a correctional nurse overwhelmed by the number of patients he was caring for with infections caused by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). He was desperate for any information he could use to help him treat and contain his facility's outbreak. This issue is our answer to this plea for comprehensive guidance on the management of this increasingly troublesome infection.

The lead article by Dr. Joseph Bick of the California Department of Corrections is a one-stop resource packed with practical information regarding the containment of MRSA that every correctional clinician should read. In addition, Dr. Bick provides a straightforward review of the proper precautions for prevention of the spread of communicable diseases in a Standard Contact Precautions 101. Dr. Bick writes from experience and those who chose not to follow his lead do so at their own risk.

This month's Spotlight by Todd Correll, PharmD complements Dr. Bick's article by reviewing the slew of recently approved antibiotics for Gram positive infections. Dr. Correll provides a useful overview of the indications, strengths and weaknesses of each of these important agents that you will want to keep handy.

Creating issues of IDCR that you will want to keep handy is what we strive for. A few years ago, this periodical changed its name and focus from viral hepatitis and HIV to embrace other infections commonly encountered among incarcerated individuals. We recognized that correctional providers, such as the nurse who emailed me, desired a source of information regarding infectious diseases that was not only reliable and unbiased but also relevant to the care of the incarcerated. Since then, we have endeavored to provide our colleagues with material they would find useful, if not indispensable. To that nurse up to his ears in MRSA, this issue is for you.

Sincerely,

David A. Wohl, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Infectious Diseases
AIDS Clinical Research Unit
University of North Carolina

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