title: Polymyxins: a review of the current status including recent developments.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Polymyxins have become the drug of choice for treatment of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacilli infections in Singapore, simply because these pathogens are only susceptible to either aminoglycosides and polymyxins, or polymyxins only. Furthermore, there is no new antibiotic in the pipeline that targets these difficult-to-treat infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  All published literatures (up to end of February 2008) regarding polymyxins are included for review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This review serves to give a summary of polymyxins from the current available literature, highlighting relevant clinical studies and information that help to guide informed prescription of polymyxins, should the need arise.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  However, there are substantial information gaps that needed to be filled urgently, to preserve the clinical utility of this very last line of antibiotic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore. andrea.kwa.l.h@sgh.com.sg
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Kwa
authors.forename: Vincent H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.forename: Matthew E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Falagas
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011113:Polymyxins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012846:Singapore
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D011113:Polymyxins