ESKAPE – bacteria that alert the world

Abstract

Sažetak. Rezistencija na antimikrobne lijekove ugrožava kvalitetu medicinske skrbi u zajednici i bolničkom okruženju. Bakterijska rezistencija prisutna je od samog početka antibiotskog doba, ali je u proteklih dvadesetak godina poprimila zabrinjavajući trend porasta. Prirođena rezistencija je stalna, genetski zadana osobina nekog mikroorganizma. Stečena rezistencija nastaje neočekivano, u prethodno osjetljivoj bakteriji, mutacijom ili češće horizontalnim prijenosom gena putem plazmida. Rezistencija često nije u potpunosti genetski određena, već može biti heterogena unutar populacije, ovisna o okolišu, strukturi bakterijske populacije ili o fiziološkom stanju bakterijske stanice. Selekcijski pritisak antibiotika važan je čimbenik u odabiru i širenju rezistentnih bakterija. Pojava višestrukorezistentnih bakterija kao uzročnika bolesti posebno je alarmantna. Takvi mikroorganizmi uobičajeno se nazivaju "superbakterije", ali ne zato što su virulentnije, nego zato jer zbog suženog izbora antibiotika konačni ishod liječenja takvih infekcija može biti neizvjestan i često nepovoljan. Stoga je cilj ovog preglednog članka prikazati saznanja o rezistenciji, mehanizmima bakterijske otpornosti prema antibioticima i onim višestrukorezistentnim bakterijama koje danas predstavljaju najveću prijetnju globalno i lokalno, a udružene su pod akronimom ESKAPE.Abstract. Resistance to antimicrobial drugs jeopardizes the quality of medical care in the community and in the hospital environment. Bacterial resistance has been present since the beginning of the antibiotic period, but over the last twenty years it has a worrying increasing trend. Innate resistance is a permanent, genetic predetermined feature of some microorganism. Acquired resistance occurs unexpectedly, in a previously sensitive bacterium, by mutation, or more often by horizontal genes transmission by plasmids. Resistance does not always have to be completely genetically defined, but can be heterogeneous within the population, depending on the environment, bacterial population structure and physiological state of bacterial cell. Antibiotic selection pressure is an important factor in the selection and spread of resistant bacteria. Appearance of multiple resistant bacteria as a cause of the disease is particularly alarming. Such microorganisms, are commonly referred to as "superbacteria", not because they are more virulent, but due to the narrowed choice of susceptible antibiotics. The final outcomes of infections caused by these microorganisms are uncertain and often disadvantageous. Therefore, the aim of this review article is to provide insights into bacterial resistance, resistance mechanisms to antibiotics and multi-resistant bacteria that present the greatest threat globally and locally, and are associated under the acronym ESKAPE.

Disinfecting Action of Gaseous Ozone on OXA-48-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Biofilm In Vitro

“…These infections have a major impact on increased morbidity and mortality, hospital treatment-related complications and the overall cost of the treatment [2]. In the past decade, the number of HAIs caused by Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter spp., also acronymically termed as the ESKAPE group, is on the rise and makes up about 2/3 of all infections, including HAIs [3][4][5]. K. pneumoniae is a prominent Gram-negative bacteria with notorious characteristics regarding its capabilities of forming biofilm, resistance to antibiotics and standard disinfectants [5,6].…”