Characteristics of patients with methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA) pneumonia associated with the presence or absence of the Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) gene.

a<p>HCAP, healthcare-associated pneumonia; HAP, hospital-acquired pneumonia; CAP, community-acquired pneumonia</p>b<p>Appropriate empiric therapy, treatment with vancomycin, linezolid, or clindamycin if the MRSA isolate was susceptible, in the 24-48 hrs prior to the availability of culture results.</p>c<p>Vancomycin trough levels, among those treated with vancomycin and for whom vancomycin levels were available.</p>d<p>PFGE, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (145 isolates available for molecular typing).</p>e<p>Vancomycin MIC, minimal inhibitory concentration (µg/mL) as determined by Etest (145 isolates available for susceptibility testing).