To the Editor: We report a case of empyema caused by methicillin-resis-tant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) sequence type ST398 in a 79-year-old man in Spain who had severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In 2009, the patient was hospitalized in the intensive care unit because of decompensation of his chronic ob-structive pulmonary disease, profound iliofemoral venous thrombosis, right pneumothorax, and lung carcinoma. Thoracic drainage, support measures, and intravenous levo. oxacin were initiated, but no clinical improvement was seen. Purulent exudates from the thoracic drainage tube and of a trache-al aspirate were cultured. MRSA was isolated from both samples and from a nasal swab. Antimicrobial drug thera-py was changed from levo. oxacin to intravenous linezolid, but the patient's clinical situation rapidly worsened, and he died of multiorgan failure
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