The Pharmacist's Role in Treating Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Infections

摘要

Beta-lactam resistance to Escherichia coli was identified prior to the release of penicillin for clinical use, foreshadowing the importance of understanding the role of beta-lactamases-bacterial enzymes that cause resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics-in relation to drug selection.1 The early 1980s heralded the introduction of extended-spectrum cephalo-sporins, which became widely used for the treatment of serious infections at that time. Shortly after these antibiotics were introduced, extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) were first identified.