Gram-negative infections in frail patients

Emanuele Rando; Elena Matteini; Silvia Guerriero; Massimo Fantoni

doi:10.53854/liim-3101-5

Gram-negative infections in frail patients

Infez Med. 2023 Mar 1;31(1):31-35. doi: 10.53854/liim-3101-5. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Emanuele Rando¹, Elena Matteini¹, Silvia Guerriero¹, Massimo Fantoni^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Dipartimento di Sicurezza e Bioetica - Sezione di Malattie Infettive, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
² Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.

Abstract

Introduction: Gram-negative infections (GNIs) are frequently encountered both in community and hospital settings. Frail patients, defined as elderly individuals with multiple comorbidities, are particularly vulnerable to them. The presentation and the course of GNIs differ in aged patients compared with younger ones, making their management a unique challenge. This review aimed to outline the essential elements of the presentation, diagnosis, and outcome of GNIs in frail individuals.

Methods: MEDLINE/PubMed library search was performed using the following terms: frail, frailty, elderly, Gram-negative, infections, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and bloodstream infection for the purpose of the review.

Conclusions: Elderly patients with multimorbidity represent a distinct population with relevant differences in GNIs presentation, diagnosis, and outcome. Several pitfalls should be avoided and appropriately addressed when facing GNIs in this group of patients. Future studies focusing on this population should be encouraged.

Keywords: Elderly; Gram-negative; comorbidities; frail patients; infections.

Publication types

Review