Antibiotic resistance in long-term care facilities.
Long-term-care facilities (LTCFs) comprise a heterogeneous group of institutions that provide a wide variety of services to diverse groups of patients, most of whom are elderly. Infections are common in LTCFs and these are complicated by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. The residents in LTCFs have a high frequency of colonization with antimicrobial-resistant organisms, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, penicillin-resistant pneumococci, extended spectrum P-lactamase-producing gram-negative organisms, and fluoroquinolone-resistant gram-negative organisms. Although several control programs have been published, up to now there still is a long way to go in this area of health care. This review will briefly touch upon the clinical relevance of antimicrobial resistance in LTCFs.
Esposito
Silvano
S
Department of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy. silvanoesposito@libero.it
Leone
Sebastiano
S
Noviello
Silvana
S
Lanniello
Filomena
F
Fiore
Marco
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D018802:Patient-Centered Care