Antimicrobial Resistance in Clinical Practice: Evidence-Based Treatment Pathways for MDR Gram- Negative and Complex Hospital Infections

Antimicrobial resistance is no longer a projected crisis—it is a daily clinical reality. In modern hospitals, ESBL-producing Enterobacterales, carbapenem-resistant organisms, multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas, CRAB, MRSA, and VRE routinely shape empiric and definitive therapy decisions. The margin for error has narrowed. Early appropriate treatment saves lives, yet unnecessary broad-spectrum use accelerates the very resistance clinicians are trying to control.Antimicrobial Resistance in Clinical Practice: Evidence-Based Treatment Pathways for MDR Gram-Negative and Complex Hospital Infections provides a structured, mechanism-first approach to managing resistant infections at the bedside. Rather than cataloging organisms or listing drugs in isolation, this book connects resistance biology to clinical phenotype, phenotype to antimicrobial selection, and drug selection to pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic optimization.Designed for infectious diseases physicians, hospitalists, intensivists, clinical pharmacists, and antimicrobial stewardship professionals, this text translates evolving evidence into practical decision-making frameworks.Inside, readers will find:Step-by-step treatment pathways for ESBL-producing Enterobacterales, CRE (including KPC, NDM, and OXA-48), difficult-to-treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumanniiClear guidance on integrating rapid molecular diagnostics, MIC interpretation, and breakpoint updates into real-time therapy decisionsPK/PD-driven dosing strategies for critically ill patients, including extended and continuous infusion beta-lactams, AUC-guided vancomycin dosing, and adjustments for augmented renal clearance, renal replacement therapy, ECMO, and obesityEvidence-based analysis of combination therapy versus optimized monotherapy, including when escalation is justified and when it is notSyndrome-based management for hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia, bloodstream infections and sepsis, complicated urinary tract infections, intra-abdominal infections, and device-associated diseasePractical stewardship strategies for de-escalation, duration optimization, IV-to-oral transition, and institutional resistance ecologyThe book emphasizes disciplined clinical reasoning under pressure. It equips clinicians to interpret resistance mechanisms, anticipate phenotypes, and tailor therapy to patient-specific physiology and local epidemiology. Throughout, it distinguishes evidence from tradition and addresses ongoing controversies with analytic clarity.Antimicrobial resistance will continue to evolve. New agents will emerge, and resistance to those agents will follow. What must remain constant is structured, mechanism-informed decision-making.This book provides the framework to make faster, safer, and more precise antimicrobial decisions—when it matters most. Read more