Colistin administration for extensive drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia in intensive care unit: case report

Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains may develop the resistance to antibiotics via different mechanisms such as, alteration of protein binders of penicillin, porin mutations, DNA-gyrase mutation and active expulsion pumps. Especially, multi-drug resistant P.aeruginosa strains, are known to be most important cause of mortality in the intensive care units. Special antibiotic therapy is required, because of having the multiple antibiotic resistances. The case reports a 67-year-old male patient who had a history of 6 years paraplegia. He admitted to the emergency department with impaired general condition, including a week ongoing nausea,chest pain, cough, phlegm, wheezing and fatigue. Widespread crepitant rales were detected up to the middle and lower zones of both lungs. Besides, there was CRP elevation, hyperuricemia, a consolidated infiltration compatible with increased opacity at lower zone of right lung and reticulonodular style increased opacity at upper zone of right lung on chest .On disk diffusion, there was resistance to all antibiotics except colistin. Although colistin treatment was initiated, the patient was lost due to cardiac arrest at the 3rd day of treatment. This case is reported to be observed for the first time of P. aeruginosa infection that was extensively drug-resistant to antibiotics except colistin in our hospital, and to highlight importance of true treatment arrangements according to antibiotic susceptibility.