Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a formidable pathogen in the infection arena. It is able to easily adapt to the
environment which it inhabits and can also colonize and invade the human host to cause
serious infections. In 2011, it was responsible for 7.1% of all health care–associated
infection in the United States. The morbidity and mortality of both blood stream infections
and ventilator-associated pneumonia are significant. On a global scale, we have seen
the development of not only multidrug resistance but also extensive and pan drug resistance
in this organism. This is often associated with limited clonal types of which we now
have epidemiological evidence of spread. With this has come reduced antibiotic treatment
options. Consideration of antibiotic infusions, combination therapy, and inhalational
therapy has occurred in an attempt to gain the upper ground. Gram-negative resistance
has appropriately been described as a global emergency.
Keywords
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- bacteremia - ventilator-associated pneumonia - epidemiology - resistance - antibiotic
treatment
