title: Resistance to antimicrobial agents: an update.
abstract: Decades of overuse and misuse of antibiotics have turned the resistance problem into a crisis. Preventive and corrective measures are urgently needed. This article presents a broad overview of the status of antimicrobial resistance. Resistance in key bacterial pathogens such as enterococci, staphylococci, pneumococci, and gram-negative bacilli; resistance to fluoroquinolones, third-generation cephalosporins, and the carbapenems; and mechanisms of resistance are discussed. The article also reviews the adverse impact of resistance on outcomes for patients with nosocomial infections. Finally, a brief overview of how the medical community can face its moment of truth is presented.
authors.affiliation: Anti-Infective Research Laboratory, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA. m.rybak@wayne.edu
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rybak
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents