There are few more compelling questions in clinical microbiology today than the 
issue of whether or not to screen for the presence of methicillin-resistant 
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), with the results being used to institute infection 
control interventions aimed at preventing transmission of MRSA in health care 
environments. Numerous different matters must be addressed when considering a 
screening program. Who is to be screened, what method is to be employed to 
detect MRSA, and what sites should be sampled? When and how often should the 
screening be performed? Who is going to pay for the screening, and, finally and 
perhaps most importantly, how are screening results to be communicated to health 
care providers and what kind of interventions are best undertaken based on the 
results? Numerous governmental agencies have mandated MRSA screening programs, 
and yet several authorities in infection control organizations have questioned 
the appropriateness of mandated screening. In this Point-Counterpoint feature, 
Dr. Lance Peterson of Evanston Hospital (Evanston, IL) offers his perspective on 
why screening for MRSA is to be encouraged. Dr. Daniel Diekema of the University 
of Iowa Carver College of Medicine (Iowa City, IA) offers an opposing view.