State of the Art of Treatment of Acinetobacter baumannii Infections

Acinetobacter baumannii–calcoaceticus complex is the most commonly identified group of species within the genus Acinetobacter and has globally emerged as a major health care–associated pathogen. A. baumannii is the species most frequently responsible for human infections and has been classified by the World Health Organization as a critical–priority pathogen because of its remarkable ability to acquire antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and the high attributable mortality associated with its infections, which can reach 70% in critically ill patients. This section reviews the global and regional epidemiology of A. baumannii, its complex mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance, and current therapeutic strategies, with particular emphasis on newly approved antimicrobial agents.