Microbial resistance of polymyxin and its potential underlying mechanism(s) among Gram-negative bacteria recovered from nosocomial infections in Egypt

Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii is increasingly implicated as a cause of healthcare-associated infections (HAI), which confer a high risk of morbidity and mortality to patients. Infections caused by A. baumannii may also be highly resistant to antimicrobials, particularly those strains isolated from critically ill patients in intensive care settings. A. baumannii isolates that are resistant to antibiotics can worsen outcomes for patients due to delays in administration of effective therapy, limited treatment options, and high toxicity of available therapies. Risk factors for multidrug-resistant A. baumannii colonization and infection include prolonged length of hospital stay, exposure to the intensive care unit (ICU), mechanical ventilation, central venous catheterization, urinary catheterization, prior exposure to antimicrobials, greater severity of illness, surgery, and receipt of invasive procedures. Antimicrobial resistance among A. baumannii appears to be on the rise internationally, though temporal changes in antimicrobial susceptibility have not been widely described and may vary locally.