Difficult-to-Treat Antibiotic-Resistant Gram-Negative Pathogens in the Intensive Care Unit: Epidemiology, Outcomes, and Treatment

Antibiotic resistance among gram-negative pathogens is a world-wide problem that poses a constant threat to patients in the intensive care unit and a therapeutic challenge for the intensivist. Furthermore, the substantial economic burden and increased mortality associated with infections due to highly resistant gram-negative pathogens exacerbate these challenges. Understanding the mechanisms, epidemiology, and risk factors for these infections is paramount to the successful control of outbreaks and for guiding therapy which often entails use of antibiotics with suboptimal efficacy and/or toxicity profiles. In this review we will discuss the global epidemiology, burden, risk factors, and treatment of highly resistant gram-negative infections as they apply to the intensive care population.