ObjectiveTo study whether methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) will increase the burden of patients with hospitalacquired pneumonia (HAP). MethodsPatients with Staphylococcus aureus HAP in a hospital between January 1, 2013 and  November 31, 2014 were selected,  patients with MRSA HAP were as case group, patients with methicillinsensitive Staphylococcus aureus( MSSA) HAP were as control group, propensity score matching (PSM) analysis were conducted to compare the prognosis of MRSA HAP and MSSA HAP (length of hospital stay, duration from infection to discharge, mortality, total therapeutic cost). ResultsAPACHE II score in case group was higher than control group before PSM was conducted, length of hospital stay and  duration from infection to discharge were both longer than control group (40［20,94］d vs 28［21,53］ d; 19［10,46］ d vs 17［8,29］d, respectively, both P<0.05). APACHE II score in case group and control group after conducting PSM was not significantly different（P＞0.05），data were balanced and comparable; there were no significant difference in length of hospital stay between two groups (28［21,52］d vs 28［21,53］d), duration from infection to discharge (15［9,25］d vs17［8,29］ d), mortality(10.87% vs 15.22%), and total therapeutic cost (121 013.5［80 747.21, 176 200］ yuan vs 119 911.2［66 994.08,241 184.7］yuan)（all P＞0.05）.ConclusionAPACHE II score is an important factor affecting prognosis; after balancing this factor, there is no difference in the prognosis of patients with MRSA and MSSA HAP, MRSA HAP can not increase the burden of disease.