Clinical importance of inducible beta-lactamases in gram-negative bacteria.

The clinical problems caused by inducible beta-lactamases in certain gram-negative bacteria are being recognized with increasing frequency. These problems include the rapid emergence of multiple beta-lactam resistance during therapy with many of the newer beta-lactam antibiotics. Such multiply resistant organisms are now spreading within the hospital and have become important nosocomial pathogens. This has been a particularly difficult problem for intensive care units, cystic fibrosis centers and burn units where there are clusters of patients who are highly susceptible to infections with organisms like Enterobacter spp., Serratia spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which possess inducible beta-lactamases. Only through an awareness of these problems, their cause, and restriction of the use of certain newer beta-lactam antibiotics can these problems be controlled.