title: Colistin against colistin-only-susceptible Acinetobacter baumannii-related infections: Monotherapy or combination therapy?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the outcomes of the patients who were infected with colistin-only-susceptible (COS) Acinetobacter baumannii and treated with either colistin monotherapy or colistin combined therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective case-control study was conducted in the training and research hospital with an 800 beds between August 2008 and December 2011. The patients, who were infected with COS A. baumannii and received either colistin monotherapy or colistin combined therapy, were included into the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 51 patients fulfilling study criteria were evaluated. Colistin monotherapy was found effective as much as colistin combined therapy in terms of clinical and microbiological responses in patients with ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) and also in patients with blood stream infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although there is no randomised controlled study yet, colistin monotherapy and colistin combined therapy are likely to achieve similar treatment responses rates. Heteroresistant strains can emerge in patients who receive colistin monotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Ministry of Health Okmeydani Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, S.B. Okmeydani Egitim ve Arastirma Hastanesi Sisli-Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Simsek
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gedik
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Yildirmak
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Iris
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Türkmen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ersoy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ersöz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gücüyener
mesh_terms: D000151:Acinetobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*; D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003091:Colistin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003091:Colistin