Infections and antimicrobial resistance in intensive care units in lower-middle-income countries: a scoping review

Antimicrobial-resistance (AMR) is one of the quickly worsening problems worldwide. It affects all the countries, but the burden is alarmingly higher in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). Approximately fifty countries belong to the LMIC category sharing the same bracket of Gross National Income, as per the World Bank update.

Individuals admitted to Intensive care units (ICUs) are at higher risk of acquiring infections of antibiotic-resistant strains. In 2007, a survey including ICUs of 75 countries provided insights on the prevalence and outcomes of resistant infections, where only 8 LMICs participated in it. Therefore, the current scoping review presents AMR infections observed in ICUs over a 13-year period (2005-2018) in LMICs.