Antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative bacilli in Spain: an experts' view

Treatment guidelines for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative microorganisms

In recent years, new antimicrobials have been introduced in therapeutics, including new beta-lactam-beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations and cefiderocol in response to therapeutic needs in the face of increasing resistance. There are also different treatment guidelines for infections caused by these microorganisms that have been approved by different professional societies, including those of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) and the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC). All of them are based on scientific evidence, but with differences in the weight of expert opinion in their recommendations. Both ESCMID and IDSA include recommendations for the treatment of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing microorganisms. The IDSA is the only one including AmpC producers, all address the treatment of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and Acinetobacter baumannii and multidrug-resistant or difficult-to-treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the IDSA and SEIMC include recommendations on the treatment of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Future guidelines should integrate new antimicrobials and new innovative management options not covered by current guidelines.