Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Infections in Specific Types of Patients and Clinical Settings

Abstract

P. aeruginosa can cause fatal disease, result in local infection that is non-life threatening, or simply colonize the airway, skin or urinary tract of patients who are completely asymptomatic. The reasons for this array of clinical manifestations are complex. The major determinant of illness following colonization or exposure to P. aeruginosa is the type of host infected or colonized with Pseudomonas.Other factors such as the route of infection (e.g. following a burn injury or trauma) and the presence of foreign bodies (such as catheters or prosthetic devices) also influence the type and severity of illness that may occur following acquisition of the organism. This chapter will discuss some of the major clinical syndromes and specific types of patients who develop infections due to P. aeruginosa.