Antibiotic Resistance of Bacterial Pathogens in Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

This article provides an overview of scientific studies on the problem of microbial resistance to antibiotics. It summarizes current concepts of antibiotic resistance, the division of microorganisms into sensitive and resistant to antibiotics, and explains the concept of minimal inhibitory concentration from a modern perspective. The main mechanisms of the development of antibiotic resistance, vectors, and genes responsible for the transmission of resistance are revealed. Microorganism resistance to antibacterial agents can be innate or acquired. The bacterial pathogens of respiratory infections, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, Moraxella catarrhalis, and other gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, are described. Non-hereditary resistance mechanisms are shown, including changes in metabolic activity, phenotypic plasticity, and biofilm formation. The factors involved in the acquisition and transmission of antibiotic resistance, as well as the evolution of antibiotic resistance, which goes through several key stages, are discussed. One of the vectors in studying the evolution of antibiotic resistance should be the analysis of bacterial communities forming biofilms rather than isolated bacterial strains, as microorganisms in biofilms exhibit low sensitivity to various antibiotics due to phenotypic resistance mechanisms.The methods of combating antibiotic resistance include several approaches: rational use of antibiotics, development of new antibiotics, and vaccination