Current and Emerging Treatment Options for Multidrug Resistant Escherichia coli Urosepsis: A Review

Abstract

Escherichia coli is a versatile commensal and pathogenic member of the human microflora. As the primary causative pathogen in urosepsis, E. coli places an immense burden on healthcare systems worldwide. To further exacerbate the issue, multi drug resistance (MDR) has spread rapidly through E. coli populations, making infections more troublesome and costlier to treat. This paper aimed to review the literature concerning the development of MDR in uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) and explore the existing evidence of current and emerging treatment strategies. While some MDR strains maybe treated with β-lactam-β-lactamase inhibitor combinations as well as cephalosporins, cephamycin, temocillin and fosfomycin, current treatment strategies for many MDR UPEC strains are reliant on carbapenems. Carbapenem overreliance may contribute to the alarming dissemination of carbapenem-resistance amongst some UPEC communities, which has ushered in a new age of difficult to treat infections. Alternative treatment options for carbapenem resistant UPEC may include novel β-lactam-β-lactamase or carbapenemase inhibitor combinations, cefiderocol, polymyxins, tigecycline, aminoglycosides or fosfomycin. For metallo-β-lactamase producing strains (e.g., NDM, IMP-4), combinations of cefazidime-avibacam with aztreonam have been used. Additionally, the emergence of new antimicrobials brings new hope to the treatment of such infections. However, continued research is required to successfully bring these into the clinic for the treatment of MDR E. coli urosepsis.

Keywords: Escherichia coli; MRE; multidrug resistance; urosepsis.

Figure 1

Possible mechanisms of resistance include (A) activation of efflux pumps, which remove drugs such as β-lactams from the bacterial cell (B) decreased drug uptake, preventing drugs such as fosfomycin from entering the cell (C) enzymes such as β-lactamase, which inactivate antibiotics, (D) modification of target site disallowing binding of drugs such as sulfonamides and trimethoprim and (E) protection of target site inhibiting binding of drugs such as fluroquinolones.