Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Pathogens: The Urgent Need for 'Old' Polymyxins

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance has presented a major health challenge in the world and many isolates of Enterobacteriaceae, Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa become resistant to almost all current antibiotics. This chapter provides an overview on the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in these Gram-negative pathogens and outlines the formidable problem of the genetics of bacterial resistance. Prevalent multidrug-resistance in Gram-negative bacteria underscores the need for optimizing the clinical use of the last-line polymyxins.

Keywords: Acinetobacter baumannii; Antibiotic resistance; Enterobacteriaceae; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; polymyxin.