Our study demonstrated that, in patients from one SNF, genotyping by FIGE REA identified two prevalent REA DNA types, but with variability of antibiogram patterns within each DNA type; the antibiogram also identified prevalent patterns with variability of REA DNA type within each antibiogram pattern. The discriminatory index of antibiograms alone, or of genotypes alone as determined by FIGE REA, was poor for strains of MRSA isolated from the SNF patients in our study.