Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a formidable and ever-present adversary

Management of infections is difficult as P. aeruginosa is inherently resistant to many antimicrobials. Furthermore, treatment is increasingly problematic due to the emergence and spread of resistance. Given these challenges, it seems reasonable to identify strategies that would prevent acquisition by hospitalised patients. Environmental reservoirs of P. aeruginosa are readily identifiable, and there are numerous reports of outbreaks that have been attributed to an environmental source. There is emerging evidence from prospective studies to suggest that environmental sources, especially water, may have significance in the epidemiology of sporadic P. aeruginosa infections in hospital settings. A better understanding of the role of environmental reservoirs in pseudomonal infection will permit the development of new strategies and refinement of existing approaches to interrupt transmission from these sources to patients. J Hosp Infect. 2009 Dec;73(4):338-44. Epub 2009 Aug 21.