Multidrug-resistant organisms are increasing in frequency. These organisms are typically resistant to several different pharmacological classes of antibiotics through a wide variety of resistance mechanisms (not just through beta lactamase production). The data below highlights the number of highly resistant organisms encountered at our institution in 2018 and 2019. The listed organisms were highly resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics or displayed unusual resistance characteristics.
- MRSA
- CRE: carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae
- VRE: Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus
- ESBL: Organism which produce extended-spectrum beta lactamases, which confer resistance to ALL beta lactams except carbapenems; most ESBL+ organisms belong to the Enterobacteriaceae group
- VRSA: Vancomycin-Resistant Staph Aureus