Resistance in nonfermenting gram-negative bacteria: Multidrug resistance to the maximum
Section snippets
Resistance prevalence in nonfermenting gram-negative bacteria
As mentioned above, members of the nonfermenting gram-negative bacteria often use several different mechanisms of resistance, including the production of enzymes, alterations in target sites, production of efflux pumps, and loss of outer membrane proteins or porins. Thus, multidrug resistance is common among these organisms, often severely limiting the therapeutic options available to treat infections caused by them. Nonsusceptibility of gram-negative nonfermenters is typically due to both
Challenges posed by gram-negative nonfermenters
The high proportion of nonfermenting gram-negative bacteria exhibiting multidrug resistance in the United States, and the increasing number among these that possess resistance to virtually all commonly used agents, pose a number of challenges in managing patients with infections caused by these pathogens. The resistance patterns of these bacteria not only negatively impact health and economic outcomes, but also create difficulties for diagnostic testing and controlling the further emergence and
Summary
Gram-negative nonfermenting bacilli are common healthcare-associated pathogens that have multiple resistance mechanisms. In fact, some of these strains are resistant to all or almost all of our currently available drugs. Multidrug resistance makes treatment of these organisms difficult and expensive, and methods for susceptibility testing need to be improved in this area. In the past, new antimicrobials were developed and served as a defense against newly resistant organisms. For a variety of
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