CHALLENGES IN THE TREATMENT OF MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT BACTERIAL INFECTIONS IN THE HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT: A REVIEW OF NEW THERAPEUTIC ALTERNATIVES

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the new therapeutic alternatives available and under development for the treatment of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections in the hospital environment, focusing on the ESKAPE group. The methodology employed was an integrative literature review using the PubMed, SciELO, and LILACS databases. The search was strictly restricted to original articles and reviews published in the last five years (January 2021 to February 2026), applying health sciences descriptors combined by Boolean operators. The main results found demonstrate that, given the critical depletion of conventional antimicrobials, innovative approaches such as nanotechnology (metallic nanoparticles), advanced phage therapy, the use of new synthetic molecular platforms, and drug repurposing show strong anti-biofilm and synergistic potential. It is concluded that confronting bacterial resistance is not sustained by a single technology; clinical success requires the combined adoption of these innovations allied with rigorous antimicrobial stewardship programs, still demanding the conduct of new multicenter in vivo clinical trials to attest to their safety.