ABSTRACT
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common and highly lethal agent of nosocomial pneumonia, especially among patients
receiving mechanical ventilation. It is widespread in the environment and commonly
recovered from water in nature and in hospital settings. P. aeruginosa is endowed with a formidable array of virulence factors that facilitate attachment
to host cells, tissue invasion, and systemic disease. It is intrinsically resistant
to many commonly used antibiotics due to a complex variety of mechanisms that we will
briefly review. Recent advances in the understanding of the molecular biology of this
organism have shed considerable light on its ability to form biofilms, which facilitate
adherence especially in cystic fibrosis patients, and confer resistance to clearance
by host immune mechanisms and antimicrobial killing. Treatment studies have demonstrated
a significant risk of emergence of resistance during therapy with a variety of agents.
Several studies suggest that two drugs are better than one for therapy of serious
infections, although dual therapy does not always prevent emergence of resistant strains.
KEYWORD
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respiratory infections - pathogenesis
