Community Associated Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (CA-MRSA) infections continue to impose an annual multi-billion cost on society with athletes being an at risk population. With the focus of sports medicine CA-MRSA research centered on retrospective outbreaks and environmental studies, recommendations and position statements spawned from the results. Although these recommendations offer effective solutions to controlling and managing these infections, they have not served to eliminate the problem. Few studies have attempted to examine infection rates, referral practices and physician management steps for CA-MRSA infections within student-athletes.The objective was to retrospectively and prospectively assess the rate of CA-MRSA infections, sport risk, management protocol and referral practices within high school and intercollegiate athletic programs.
