title: Pharmacotherapy for hospital-acquired pneumonia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hospital-acquired pneumonia is the most common life-threatening hospital-acquired infection, and the majority of cases are associated with mechanical ventilation. Once pneumonia develops, the appropriateness of the initial antibiotic regimen is a vital determinant of outcome. The slow rate of development of newer antimicrobials has led to the rediscovery of the 'old' and 'forgotten' antibiotic 'Colistin', and it is increasingly being used as salvage therapy in patients with multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  This article covers medical literature published in any language since 1990 until November 2011, on 'hospital pneumonia', identified using PubMed, MEDLINE and clinicaltrial.gov. The search terms used were 'ventilator associated pneumonia', 'management' and 'new antibiotics'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many controversies still remain in the management of hospital-acquired pneumonia. A continuous evaluation of the antimicrobial therapeutic options, along with their pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles, is mandatory to optimize therapy and reduce hospital pneumonia-related mortality.
authors.affiliation: Consultant in Respiratory Medicine, Sotiria Chest Diseases Hospital, 6th Respiratory Department , Mesogion 152, 11527, Athens , Greece +30 210 776 3458 ; mliapikou@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Adamantia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liapikou
authors.forename: Edmundo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosales-Mayor
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000188:drug therapy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents