Abstract
Antibiotic resistance among gram-negative pathogens is a world-wide problem that poses
a constant threat to patients in the intensive care unit and a therapeutic challenge
for the intensivist. Furthermore, the substantial economic burden and increased mortality
associated with infections due to highly resistant gram-negative pathogens exacerbate
these challenges. Understanding the mechanisms, epidemiology, and risk factors for
these infections is paramount to the successful control of outbreaks and for guiding
therapy which often entails use of antibiotics with suboptimal efficacy and/or toxicity
profiles. In this review we will discuss the global epidemiology, burden, risk factors,
and treatment of highly resistant gram-negative infections as they apply to the intensive
care population.
Keywords
gram-negative pathogens - antibiotic resistance - epidemiology - intensivist -
Klebsiella pneumoniae
