Challenge of intensive care unit-acquired infections and Acinetobacter baumannii in developing countries

Abstract

Challenge of intensive care unit-acquired infections and Acinetobacter baumannii in developing countries. OA Critical Care 2013 Mar 01;1(1):2. Abstract Introduction Nosocomial intensive care unit-acq-uired infections and antimicrobial resistance are global problems, and many epidemiological studies are carried out, especially from develop-ed countries. However, available da-ta of patient population and charact-eristics of intensive care units are v-ery limited in developing countries. The prevalence of infection and mor-tality rates are higher in countries with limited resources associated w-ith the quality of care. Infection cont-rol strategies such as hand hygiene, rational antibiotic utilisation, contin-uous education and performance fe-edback demonstrated a significant r-eduction in the infection rates in th-ese countries. Acinetobacter bauma-nnii is common cause of nosocomial infections worldwide. In recent yea-rs, interest in infections caused by A. baumannii has gradually increased, and current studies indicate that this pathogen is more resistant and viru-lent, becoming a serious nosocomial threat. This critical review discusses the prevalence of A. baumannii and other intensive care unit acquired i-nfections in developing countries.