Abstract

The emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms, so-called ‘superbugs’, are a major public health concern. Multi-drug resistant organisms can cause serious, life-threatening infections. The acquisition of vancomycin resistance by Gram-positive bacteria and carbapenem resistance by Gram-negative bacteria made some hospital-acquired infections impossible to treat. Unless alternative treatment regimens are developed, our difficulty to treat totally resistant bacteria will halt other advances in modern medicine. Overuse of antibiotics and environmental factors all have a role in the emergence and spread of resistance. This article reviews the mechanisms and recent trends in the spread of multi-drug resistant bacteria, especially vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus and carbapenem-resistant organisms. (Korean J UTII 2012;7:99-105)

• Keywords: Drug resistance, Vancomycin, Carbapenems