Staphylococcus Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Staphylococcus, including details on mrsa, hospitals, infection, antibiotic resistance, superbugs.

Mechanisms of resistance of bacteria causing ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Szabo D, Silveira F, Fujitani S, Paterson DL

Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Falk Medical Building, Suite 3A, 3601 5th Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.

The common causes of ventilator-associated pneumonia (Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Acinetobacter spp) are frequently resistant to multiple antibiotic classes. S aureus develops resistance to all beta-lactam antibiotics by producing a modified penicillin-binding protein. Linezolid resistance arises by way of mutations in the 23S ribosomal subunit. Antibiotic resistance in gram-negative bacilli usually arises by way of beta-lactamase production, upregulation of efflux pumps, or loss of outer membrane proteins. The ability of bacteria to develop and disseminate new mechanisms of antibiotic resistance may outstrip the availability of new antibiotic classes.

Published 1 April 2005 in Clin Chest Med, 26(1): 75-9.
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