colistin (Hat Yai Hospital Medical Education Center)

Colistin (polymyxin E) is a cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic that serves as a critical last-resort treatment for severe infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, including *Acinetobacter baumannii*. It functions as a cationic surfactant; its positively charged residues bind to the negatively charged lipid A component of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in the bacterial outer membrane. This binding displaces essential divalent cations (calcium and magnesium), leading to the disruption of the membrane's integrity, leakage of intracellular contents, and subsequent cell death. In the clinical trial context associated with the Hat Yai Medical Education Center, colistin is being evaluated as a dual-route therapy—combining aerosolized (inhalation) and intravenous administration—to improve clinical outcomes in neonates suffering from ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by pandrug-resistant strains.

Brand names

Coly-Mycin M

Other names

polymyxin Ecolistimethate sodiumCMS