The number of infections caused by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureu s (MRSA) is increasing every year in England and Wales. 1 2 These infections are more difficult to treat than others because of the resistance of the bacterium to first line antibiotics. The impact of these infections on mortality has been unknown; data on the mortality caused by MRSA infections is not routinely available because the international classification of diseases (ICD) has no code for these infections. The evidence that the infections are associated with a higher mortality than methicillin sensitive S aureus infections is equivocal.1 We used death certificates to examine the evidence that mortality due to MRSA and staphylococcal infections in England and Wales is increasing.