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Future trends in the treatment of serious Gram-positive infections

Rosemarie Metzger1, Hugo Bonatti, Robert Sawyer

  • 1Department of Transplantation, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908-0709, USA.

Drugs of Today (Barcelona, Spain : 1998)
|March 10, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Gram-positive bacteria, like staphylococci and streptococci, are major human pathogens. Rising antimicrobial resistance necessitates new treatments and strict infection control to combat resistant strains.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
  • Antimicrobial Resistance
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Gram-positive organisms, particularly streptococci and staphylococci, are leading causes of human bacterial infections.
  • While some Gram-positive infections are preventable by vaccines, others like Staphylococcus aureus require ongoing vaccine development.
  • Increasing antimicrobial resistance in Gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), poses a significant global health threat.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current landscape of Gram-positive bacterial pathogens.
  • To highlight the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance in these organisms.
  • To discuss emerging treatment strategies and infection control measures.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of Gram-positive pathogens and antimicrobial resistance trends.
  • Analysis of current and investigational antimicrobial agents.
  • Examination of infection control strategies for multiresistant organisms.

Main Results:

  • Gram-positive bacteria remain significant pathogens, with notable resistance development in staphylococci, pneumococci, and enterococci.
  • Multidrug-resistant strains, such as community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) and resistant pneumococci, are increasingly prevalent in both hospital and community settings.
  • New antimicrobials and therapeutic agents are under development to address resistant Gram-positive infections, alongside critical infection-control measures.

Conclusions:

  • The rise of antimicrobial resistance in Gram-positive bacteria necessitates a multifaceted approach combining novel therapeutics with robust infection control.
  • Continued research into vaccines and new antimicrobial agents is crucial for managing infections caused by resistant strains.
  • Effective implementation of infection-control measures, including carrier identification and isolation, is essential to limit the spread of multiresistant Gram-positive organisms.

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