Low antibiotic resistance rates in Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp but not in Enterobacter spp and Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a prospective observational study in 14 Swedish ICUs over a 5-year period

Clonal Relatedness among Imipenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from ICU-Hospitalized Patients

Imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) has become an increasingly important problem in healthcare settings worldwide. The aim of the present study was to evaluate clonal spread among imipenem-resistant P. aeruginosa isolated from ICU-hospitalized patients. Totally, 150 wound specimens were analyzed. Antibiotic resistance profiles and clonal diversity were evaluated using Kirby-Bauer's disk diffusion method and Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA- (RAPD-) PCR, respectively. The isolates showed a high frequency of antibiotic resistance against meropenem, and imipenem (100%) followed by ciprofloxacin, and ceftazidime (90%); meanwhile resistance to polymyxin B was not observed. Eighteen (40%) of P. aeruginosa isolates were MBL-positive via ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) combined disk test. Our findings showed high genetic diversity, with 37 different RAPD types detected. RAPD typing results showed cross-acquisition of P. aeruginosa in investigated hospital, suggesting failure in infection control practices. Incidence of MBL-positive isolates is high and should be regarded as a threat to hospitalized patients.

Variations and determinants of antibiotic consumption in Hungarian adult intensive care units

PURPOSE

The aim of this work was to study the use of systemic antibacterials and its possible determinants in Hungarian intensive care units (ICUs).

METHODS

Hospital pharmacy. departments provided package level dispensing data for their corresponding ICU (2006). Data were converted into defined daily doses (DDDs) and expressed as DDD per 100 patient-days and DDD per 100 admissions. Antibiotics were ranked by volume of DDDs, and the agents responsible for 90% of total use (DU90%) were noted. To explore differences and relationships between antibiotic use and antibiotic policy elements/ICU characteristics, the analysis of variances or the Pearson correlation analysis was performed.

RESULTS

Valid data were obtained for 44 ICUs. Antibiotic use varied widely (from 27.9 to 167.8 DDD per 100 patient-days and from 104.7 to 1784.6 DDD per 100 admissions). In total, 11-34 different antibacterials per ICUs were used, of which, 5-15 were in the DU90% segment. The proportional use of parenteral agents ranged from 46.2 to 98.3%. The mean of overall antibiotic use was highest for penicillins with beta-lactamase inhibitors, followed by quinolones and third-generation cephalosporins. Of the studied factors, only the ICU category (i.e., level of care) showed significant association with total antibacterial use.

CONCLUSIONS

The striking differences in total antibiotic use and the extensive use of the oral agents in some ICUs may indicate room for improvement. As none of the antibiotic policy elements were accompanied by lower antibiotic use in the pooled analysis, it suggests that--beside the ICU category--other unrevealed factors determine antibiotic use.

Need for improved antimicrobial and infection control stewardship in Vietnamese intensive care units

OBJECTIVE

Survey of antibiotic consumption, microbial resistance and hygiene precautions in the intensive care units of three hospitals in northern Vietnam.

METHODS

Observational study. Data were collected from the microbiological laboratories. Antibiotic consumption was determined based on quantities of drugs delivered from the pharmacy. A protocol to observe the application of hygiene precautions was developed and used. Bacteria were typed and tested for drug susceptibility using the disc-diffusion method.

RESULTS

The mean antibiotic consumption was 811 defined daily doses per 1000 occupied bed days. The most commonly used antibiotics were third-generation cephalosporins, followed by carbapenems, amoxicillin and ampicillin. Eighty per cent of bacterial isolates were Gram-negative. The most common pathogens found in blood cultures were Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas spp., Acinetobacter spp., Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas spp. were the two most frequently isolated bacteria from the respiratory tract and all other sources together. Seventy per cent of Acinetobacter species showed reduced susceptibility to imipenem, 80% to ciprofloxacin and 89% to ceftazidime. Forty-four per cent of Pseudomonas spp. showed reduced susceptibility to imipenem, 49% to ciprofloxacin and 49% to ceftazidime. Escherichia coli was fully susceptible to imipenem, but 57% of samples were resistant to both ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime. Hygiene precautions were poor, and fewer than 50% of patient contacts incorporated appropriate hand hygiene.

CONCLUSION

Low antibiotic consumption, poor hygiene precautions and the high level of antibiotic resistance indicate that there is room for improvement regarding antibiotic use and infection control.

Dramatic increase of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant E. coli in German intensive care units: secular trends in antibiotic drug use and bacterial resistance, 2001 to 2008

Introduction

The objective of the present study was to analyse secular trends in antibiotic consumption and resistance data from a network of 53 intensive care units (ICUs).

Methods

The study involved prospective unit and laboratory-based surveillance in 53 German ICUs from 2001 through 2008. Data were calculated on the basis of proportions of nonduplicate resistant isolates, resistance densities (that is, the number of resistant isolates of a species per 1,000 patient-days) and an antimicrobial usage density (AD) expressed as daily defined doses (DDD) and normalised per 1,000 patient-days.

Results

Total mean antibiotic use remained stable over time and amounted to 1,172 DDD/1,000 patient-days (range 531 to 2,471). Carbapenem use almost doubled to an AD of 151 in 2008. Significant increases were also calculated for quinolone (AD of 163 in 2008) and third-generation and fourth-generation cephalosporin use (AD of 117 in 2008). Aminoglycoside consumption decreased substantially (AD of 86 in 2001 and 24 in 2008). Resistance proportions were as follows in 2001 and 2008, respectively: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) 26% and 20% (P = 0.006; trend test showed a significant decrease), vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) faecium 2.3% and 8.2% (P = 0.008), third-generation cephalosporin (3GC)-resistant Escherichia. coli 1.2% and 19.7% (P < 0.001), 3GC-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae 3.8% and 25.5% (P < 0.001), imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii 1.1% and 4.5% (P = 0.002), and imipenem-resistant K. pneumoniae 0.4% and 1.1%. The resistance densities did not change for MRSA but increased significantly for VRE faecium and 3GC-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae. In 2008, the resistance density for MRSA was 3.73, 0.48 for VRE, 1.39 for 3GC-resistant E. coli and 0.82 for K. pneumoniae.

Conclusions

Although total antibiotic use did not change over time in German ICUs, carbapenem use doubled. This is probably due to the rise in 3GC-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae. Increased carbapenem consumption was associated with carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing bacteria and imipenem-resistant A. baumannii.

[Relevance of ESBL-producing pathogens for clinical surgery: diagnostics, therapy, and prevention]

BACKGROUND

Multiresistant, extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL)-producing pathogens are an increasing problem in daily clinical life. This paper summarizes the development of resistance as well as epidemiology, diagnostics, and treatment of ESBL-producing micro-organisms. We analyzed microbiological data collected at the Grosshadern Clinic in Germany between 1996 and 2007, in order to assess the importance of these micro-organisms to medical practice and surgical care units.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Pathogens were isolated from 28,894 patients with Escherichia coli and 10,903 with Klebsiella pneumoniae pathogens between 1996 and 2006 and tested for ESBL production. For the year 2007 we have analyzed the complete spectrum of ESBL-producing pathogens and their distribution to different departments of the clinic. The agar diffusion test with five cephalosporins and an automated detection system (BD Phoenix) were used for screening purposes. Positive results were verified with the E- and double-disc agar diffusion tests.

RESULTS

The most important pathogens isolated from patients were E. coli and K. pneumoniae. Analysis of ESBL-producing E. coli pathogens from 1996 to 2006 showed the prevalence increasing from 0% to 4.1%. For ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae, we also found a prevalence rising from 0.3% in 1996 to 6.6% in 2006. For the year 2007 a further increase in ESBL-producing pathogens was detected, reaching 182 cases, with 118 of ESBL-producing E. coli (5.7 %) and 39 of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae (7.4%). Of these, 24 cases with E. coli and nine with K. pneumoniae were surgery patients (20% and 23%, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The results show an increasing prevalence of ESBL-producing pathogens in hospitalized patients and in surgical departments. The resulting rise in treatment costs and patient risk require thorough knowledge of risk factors, therapy, and preventive measures.

[Surveillance of antibiotic use and bacterial resistance in intensive care units]

SARI (Surveillance of Antibiotic Use and Bacterial Resistance in Intensive Care Units) provides data on antibiotic use, resistance rates (RR) and resistance densities (RD) in 47 interdisciplinary, medical and surgical intensive care units in Germany. Mean total antibiotic use was 1170 defined daily doses per 1000 patient days (pd). RD of MRSA has remained stable since 2001 in contrast to a continuous increase in the RD of 3rd generation cephalosporins E. coli (4.3 and 1.4, respectively, resistant pathogens/1000 pd in 2007). Local data of antibiotic use and bacterial resistance are important for the antibiotic and quality management of the individual ICUs. Pooled data of antibiotic use and bacterial resistance allow trends and extrapolations for Germany, which are relevant for future strategies.

Surveillance of microbial resistance in European Intensive Care Units: a first report from the Care-ICU programme for improved infection control

PURPOSE

To report initial results from a European ICU surveillance programme focussing on antibiotic consumption, microbial resistance and infection control.

METHODS

Thirty-five ICUs participated during 2005. Microbial resistance, antibiotic consumption and infection control stewardship measures were entered locally into a web-application. Results were validated locally, aggregated by project leaders and fed back to support local audit and benchmarking.

RESULTS

Median (range) antibiotic consumption was 1,254 (range 348-4,992) DDD per 1,000 occupied bed days. The proportion of MRSA was median 11.6% (range 0-100), for ESBL phenotype of E. coli and K. pneumoniae 3.9% (0-80) and 14.3% (0-77.8) respectively, and for carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa 22.5% (0-100). Screening on admission for alert pathogens was commonly omitted, and there was a lack of single rooms for isolation.

CONCLUSIONS

The surveillance programme demonstrated wide variation in antibiotic consumption, microbial resistance and infection control measures. The programme may, by providing rapid access to aggregated results, promote local and regional audit and benchmarking of antibiotic use and infection control practices.

Sustained reduction of antibiotic use and low bacterial resistance: 10-year follow-up of the Swedish Strama programme

Increasing use of antibiotics and the spread of resistant pneumococcal clones in the early 1990s alarmed the medical profession and medical authorities in Sweden. Strama (Swedish Strategic Programme for the Rational Use of Antimicrobial Agents and Surveillance of Resistance) was therefore started in 1994 to provide surveillance of antibiotic use and resistance, and to implement the rational use of antibiotics and development of new knowledge. Between 1995 and 2004, antibiotic use for outpatients decreased from 15.7 to 12.6 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day and from 536 to 410 prescriptions per 1000 inhabitants per year. The reduction was most prominent in children aged 5-14 years (52%) and for macrolides (65%). During this period, the number of hospital admissions for acute mastoiditis, rhinosinusitis, and quinsy (peritonsillar abscess) was stable or declining. Although the epidemic spread in southern Sweden of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae was curbed, the national frequency increased from 4% to 6%. Resistance remained low in most other bacterial species during this period. This multidisciplinary, coordinated programme has contributed to the reduction of antibiotic use without measurable negative consequences. However, antibiotic resistance in several bacterial species is slowly increasing, which has led to calls for continued sustained efforts to preserve the effectiveness of available antibiotics.