title: Evolving resistance among Gram-positive pathogens.
abstract: Antimicrobial therapy is a key component of modern medical practice and a cornerstone for the development of complex clinical interventions in critically ill patients. Unfortunately, the increasing problem of antimicrobial resistance is now recognized as a major public health threat jeopardizing the care of thousands of patients worldwide. Gram-positive pathogens exhibit an immense genetic repertoire to adapt and develop resistance to virtually all antimicrobials clinically available. As more molecules become available to treat resistant gram-positive infections, resistance emerges as an evolutionary response. Thus, antimicrobial resistance has to be envisaged as an evolving phenomenon that demands constant surveillance and continuous efforts to identify emerging mechanisms of resistance to optimize the use of antibiotics and create strategies to circumvent this problem. Here, we will provide a broad perspective on the clinical aspects of antibiotic resistance in relevant gram-positive pathogens with emphasis on the mechanistic strategies used by these organisms to avoid being killed by commonly used antimicrobial agents.
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine International Center for Microbial Genomics Clinica Alemana de Santiago, Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile.
authors: Jose M
authors: JM
authors: Munita
authors: Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California.
authors: Arnold S
authors: AS
authors: Bayer
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Medical School at Houston International Center for Microbial Genomics Molecular Genetics and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, Universidad El Bosque, Bogota, Colombia.
authors: Cesar A
authors: CA
authors: Arias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: antimicrobial resistance; methicillin-resistant; multidrug-resistant; penicillin-resistant; vancomycin-resistant