Superinfections in the Antibiotic Era

Abstract

Antimicrobial drugs for specific bacterial infections inhibit or eliminate the causative bacteria but also profoundly modify normal bacterial flora in the patient. These changes may not be important in most cases, but in some the newly predominating organisms under appropriate conditions produce serious and even fatal superinfections. Little is known of the pathogenesis, true incidence, and predisposing factors of these superinfections.