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Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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If a pregnant woman is a MRSA carrier, there is no research evidence that her pregnancy will be compromised. In general, MRSA screening is not done routinely during pregnancy. However, if a woman has been diagnosed previously with MRSA, and if she is having a planned C-section, has a high risk for complications, has a MRSA-positive household member, or has been hospitalized in the last three months, she may be screened for MRSA. Some clinicians will offer treatment to suppress the bacteria; other clinicians may not, depending on the mother's circumstances. Pregnant women who get MRSA infections are treated with antibiotics; if they pass MRSA to their infant, the baby can also be treated. Fortunately, serious MRSA infections in infants are rare. Pregnant women with MRSA infections should be treated by specialists, usually a team consisting of an ob-gyn and infectious-disease consultant, since careful choices in antibiotics and close follow-up yield the best outcomes for the mother and baby.

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