Gram-Negative Bacteria and Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics: Good News Except for Fluoroquinolones

For nearly 2 decades, the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics for treatment of infections in hospitalized patients has been widespread and often empiric. These antibiotics include . . .

For nearly 2 decades, the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics for treatment of infections in hospitalized patients has been widespread and often empiric. These antibiotics include cephalosporins (ceftriaxone-cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and others), fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin), aminoglycosides (gentamicin, amikacin), imipenem, broad-spectrum penicillins with or without β-lactamase inhibitors (amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, piperacillin-tazobactam), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. To analyze current trends of antimicrobial resistance among the most important gram-negative pathogens, researchers conducted a survey of >125,000 isolates collected from hospitalized patients in 2000 and 2001 through a large database of 670 microbiol…

Reviewing Author

Thomas Glück, MD