Author(s)

Hani S. Faidah

Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Antibiotic resistance is steadily increasing all over the world and has become a major public health challenge. To this end, colistin, an old bactericidal antibiotic of polymyxins family, has been recently re-introduced as only available last-resort antibiotic arsenal for treatment of infections caused by multidrug resistant (MDR)-Gram-negative bacteria. However, the continual and extensive use of colistin has led to the emergence and rapid spreading of its bacterial resistance and non-susceptibility that is currently experiencing a critical healthcare issue with extensive global concern. Both transferable and intrinsic mechanisms of bacterial resistance to colistin have been documented in several countries and, therefore, comprehensive epidemiological data and reports are urgently needed to better understand the current status of this important antibiotic to properly optimize its clinical significance. In consistency, the present narrative review highlights both clinical use and reported bacterial resistance of colistin in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Colistin, Clinical Use, Bacterial Resistance, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Faidah, H. (2018) Colistin Use and Its Resistance in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Narrative Review. Advances in Infectious Diseases, 8, 255-261. doi: 10.4236/aid.2018.84021.