Treatment of Carbapenem-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections with Polymyxins: A Review
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance poses a serious threat to human health. Polymyxins, as cyclic polypeptide antibiotics, include polymyxin B (PMB) and polymyxin E. Although they have different metabolic pathways, their antibacterial activities are similar. Polymyxins exert their effects through mechanisms such as disrupting bacterial cell membranes, neutralizing endotoxins, and impairing the respiratory chain. In clinical practice, polymyxins are often used in combination with other drugs to treat infections caused by carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria (CRGNB). No difference in efficacy has been demonstrated between PMB and polymyxin E. An increasing amount of evidence suggests that combination therapy is not superior to monotherapy. The combination of intravenous administration and nebulization can help improve microbial clearance. Compared with other antibiotics, polymyxins have not shown obvious survival benefit. Polymyxins are associated with nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity, and it is essential to closely monitor for related adverse events during the course of treatment.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Association of lower urinary tract symptoms and OAB severity with quality of life and mental health in China, Taiwan and South Korea: results from a cross-sectional, population-based study
- Ten-Day Quadruple Therapy Comprising Low-Dose Rabeprazole, Bismuth, Amoxicillin, and Tetracycline Is an Effective and Safe First-Line Treatment for Helicobacter pylori Infection in a Population with High Antibiotic Resistance: a Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Parallel-Controlled Clinical Trial in China
- The Role of the NLR and PLR in Urinary Tract Infection
- Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance among Pilgrims with Infectious Diseases during Hajj: Lessons Learnt from COVID-19 Pandemic
- Leclercia adecarboxylata urinary tract infection in a patient with bladder cancer and recurrent hematuria
- A Case Series of Staphylococcus lugdunensis Infection in Cancer Patients at an Academic Cancer Institute in the United States
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.