Current trends in the treatment of pneumonia due to multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria

Pneumonia is one of the most common infections worldwide. Morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs increase substantially when pneumonia is caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB). The ongoing spread of antimicrobial resistance has made treating MDR-GNB pneumonia increasingly difficult. Fortunately, there have been some recent additions to our antibiotic armamentarium in the US and Europe for MDR-GNB, along with several agents that are in advanced stages of development. In this article, we review the risk factors for and current management of MDR-GNB pneumonia as well as novel agents with activity against these important and challenging pathogens.