ANTIBACTERIAL RESISTANCE IN PATIENTS WITH HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION

Recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are at substantial risk of bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections depending on the time elapsed since transplantation, presence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and the degree of immunosuppression. Infectious complications in HSCT recipients are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Bacterial infections constitute the major cause of infectious complications, especially in the early post-transplant period. The emergence of antibacterial resistance complicates the management of bacterial infections in this patient group. Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections in this group of patients have attracted considerable interest and may lead significant morbidity and mortality. Empirical antibacterial therapy in patients with HSCT and febrile neutropenia has a critical role in survival and should be based on local epidemiology. This review attempts to provide an overview of resistant bacterial infections in HSCT recipients. Keywords: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, antibacterial resistance, resistant bacterial infection.