Treatment of nosocomial pneumonia and tracheobronchitis caused by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa with aerosolized colistin.

Gram-negative bacilli including multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa are responsible for a significant proportion of episodes of nosocomial pneumonia. Since the development of new antibiotics with activity against gram-negative organisms has not kept pace with the increase in prevalence of MDR pathogens, there has been renewed interest in antimicrobial agents that had previously been used but had been abandoned because of toxic side effects. This report describes three patients with nosocomial pneumonia or tracheobronchitis due to multiresistant strains of P. aeruginosa for whom aerosolized colistin proved beneficial as supplemental therapy. Aerosolized colistin merits further consideration as a therapeutic intervention for patients with pulmonary infections due to MDR P. aeruginosa.