Acinetobacter baumannii: epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance, and treatment options.

Authors

Maragakis LL, Perl TM 

Institution

Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. lmaraga1@jhmi.edu

Source

Clin Infect Dis 2008 Apr 15; 46(8) :1254-63.

Abstract

Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is recognized to be among the most difficult antimicrobial-resistant gram-negative bacilli to control and treat. Increasing antimicrobial resistance among Acinetobacter isolates has been documented, although definitions of multidrug resistance vary in the literature. A. baumannii survives for prolonged periods under a wide range of environmental conditions. The organism causes outbreaks of infection and health care-associated infections, including bacteremia, pneumonia, meningitis, urinary tract infection, and wound infection. Antimicrobial resistance greatly limits the therapeutic options for patients who are infected with this organism, especially if isolates are resistant to the carbapenem class of antimicrobial agents. Because therapeutic options are limited for multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter infection, the development or discovery of new therapies, well-controlled clinical trials of existing antimicrobial regimens and combinations, and greater emphasis on the prevention of health care-associated transmission of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter infection are essential.

Mesh

Acinetobacter Infections
Acinetobacter baumannii
Carbapenems
Disease Outbreaks
Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial
Humans
Infection Control

Language

eng

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Review

PubMed ID

18444865