Surveillance of antibiotic resistance in ICUs in southeastern Sweden. ICU Study Group of the South East of Sweden

Nosocomial bacterial infections and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns among patients in Ugandan intensive care units: a cross sectional study

Background

The intensive care unit (ICU) admits critically ill patients requiring advanced airway, respiratory, cardiac and renal support. Despite the highly-specialized interventions, the mortality and morbidity is still high due to a number of reasons including nosocomial infections, which are the most likely complications in hospitalized patients with the rates being highest among ICU patients.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study of 111 adult patients admitted to 2 of the ICUs in Uganda, we set out to describe the commonest bacterial infections, their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and factors associated with development of a nosocomial infection.

Results

Klebsiella pneumoniae (30%), Acinetobacter species (22%) and Staphylococcus aureus (14%) were the most frequently isolated bacteria. The prevalence of multidrug resistant bacterial species was 58%; 50% Escherichia coli and 33.3% Klebsiella pneumoniae were extended spectrum beta lactamase or AmpC beta lactamase producers and 9.1% Acinetobacter species were extensive drug resistant. Imipenem was the antibiotic with the highest susceptibility rates across most bacterial species. Institution of ventilator support (P 0.003) and severe traumatic brain injury (P 0.035) were highly associated with the development of nosocomial infections.

Conclusion

Due to the high prevalence of multi drug resistant (MDR) and extensive drug resistant bacterial species, there is a need for development of strong policies on antibiotic stewardship, antimicrobial surveillance and infection control to help guide empirical antibiotic therapy and prevent the spread of MDR bacteria and antibiotic drug resistance.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13104-017-2695-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Susceptibility of staphylococci and enterococci to antimicrobial agents at different ward levels in four north European countries

A multicentre susceptibility study was performed on staphylococci and enterococci isolated from patients at 3 different ward levels: primary care centres (PCCs), general hospital wards (GHWs) and intensive care units (ICUs), in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. There was a markedly higher incidence of resistance among CoNS in ICUs compared to GHWs and PCCs. Resistance rates were low among S. aureus isolates and no differences were found between the ward levels. Oxacillin resistance was found among 1.6% of S. aureus and 47% of CoNS isolates. 14% of CoNS and 0.9% of S. aureus isolates were glycopeptide intermediate. The prevalence of E. faecium isolates in this study differed significantly between the ward levels with the lowest prevalence found at PCCs. High level gentamicin resistant (HLGR) enterococci occurred in 11-25% of E. faecium and 6-20% of E. faecalis isolates. The HLGR rate was significantly higher among E. faecalis from hospitalized patients (GHWs and ICUs) compared to patients at PCCs. For enterococcal isolates, no other significant differences in antimicrobial resistance were found between the ward levels. All enterococci were teicoplanin susceptible, but decreased susceptibility to vancomycin was found among 2.0% and 0.6% of the E. faecium and E. faecalis isolates, respectively.

Prescription of antibiotic agents in Swedish intensive care units is empiric and precise

Since the prescription of antibiotics in the hospital setting is often empiric, particularly in the critically ill, and therefore fraught with potential error, we analysed the use of antibiotic agents in Swedish intensive care units (ICUs). We examined indications for antibiotic treatment, agents and dosage prescribed among 393 patients admitted to 23 ICUs at 7 tertiary care centres, 11 secondary hospitals and 5 primary hospitals over a 2-week period in November 2000. Antibiotic consumption was higher among ICU patients in tertiary care centres with a median of 84% (range 58-87%) of patients on antibiotics compared to patients in secondary hospitals (67%, range 35-93%) and in primary hospitals (38%, range 24-80%). Altogether 68% of the patients received antibiotics during the ICU stay compared to 65% on admission. Cefuroxime was the most commonly prescribed antibiotic before and during admission (28% and 24% of prescriptions, respectively). A date for decision to continue or discontinue antibiotic therapy was set in 21% (6/29) of patients receiving prophylaxis, in 8% (16/205) receiving empirical treatment and in 3% (3/88) when culture-based therapy was given. No correlation between antibiotic prescription and laboratory parameters such as CRP levels, leukocyte and thrombocyte counts, was found. The treatment was empirical in 64% and prophylactic in 9% of cases. Microbiological data guided prescription more often in severe sepsis (median 50%, range 40-60% of prescriptions) than in other specified forms of infection (median 32%, range 21-50%). The empirically chosen antibiotic was found to be active in vitro against the pathogens found in 55 of 58 patients (95%) with a positive blood culture. This study showed that a high proportion of ICU patients receive antimicrobial agents and, as expected, empirical-based therapy is more common than culture-based therapy. Antibiotics given were usually active in vitro against the pathogen found in blood cultures. We ascribe this to a relatively modest antibiotic resistance problem in Swedish hospitals.

High antibiotic susceptibility among bacterial pathogens in Swedish ICUs. Report from a nation-wide surveillance program using TA90 as a novel index of susceptibility

Local infection control measures, antibiotic consumption and patient demographics from 1999-2000 together with bacteriological analyses were investigated in 29 ICUs participating in the ICU-STRAMA programme. The median antibiotic consumption per ICU was 1147 (range 605-2143) daily doses per 1000 occupied bed d (DDD1000). Antibiotics to which > 90% of isolates of an organism were susceptible were defined as treatment alternatives (TA90). The mean number of TA90 was low (1-2 per organism) for Enterococcus faecium (vancomycin:VAN), coagulase negative staphylococci (VAN), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ceftazidime:CTZ, netilmicin: NET) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (CTZ, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole: TSU), but higher (3-7) for Acinetobacter spp. (imipenem:IMI, NET, TSU), Enterococcus faecalis (ampicillin:AMP, IMI, VAN), Serratia spp. (ciprofloxacin:CIP, IMI, NET), Enterobacter spp. (CIP, IMI, NET, TSU), E. coli (cefuroxime:CXM, cefotaxime/eftazidime:CTX/CTZ, CIP, IMI, NET, piperacillin-tazobactam:PTZ, TSU), Klebsiella spp. (CTX/CTZ CIP, IMI, NET, PTZ, TSU) and Staphylococcus aureus (clindamycin, fusidic acid, NET, oxacillin, rifampicin, VAN). Of S. aureus isolates 2% were MRSA. Facilities for alcohol hand disinfection at each bed were available in 96% of the ICUs. The numbers of TA90 available were apparently higher than in ICUs in southern Europe and the US, despite a relatively high antibiotic consumption. This may be due to a moderate ecological impact of the used agents and the infection control routines in Swedish ICUs.

Different trends in antibiotic resistance rates at a university teaching hospital

OBJECTIVES

To investigate long-term trends in antibiotic resistance of common bacterial species isolated at a university hospital and in its intensive care units (ICUs).

METHODS

Levels of antibiotic resistance of common bacterial pathogens were investigated at the Karolinska Hospital during the 12-year period 1988-99. Resistance rates were analyzed for the entire hospital, as well as for ICUs combined.

RESULTS

At the Karolinska Hospital, we found increased ciprofloxacin resistance among Escherichia coli isolates, from 0% in 1991 to 11% in 1999. In the ICUs, the corresponding increase was from 0% to 4.8% during the same period. Co-trimoxazole resistance levels increased from 7.5% to 14%, with lower levels for the ICUs. For ampicillin, cefuroxime, and gentamicin, the levels of resistance were similar in the whole hospital and in the ICUs. Among Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, imipenem resistance was higher in the ICUs. For ciprofloxacin, resistance increased from 2.5% in 1991 to 13% in 1999 in the whole hospital, with similar figures for the ICUs.

CONCLUSION

The resistance rates at the Karolinska Hospital were still generally low, but were increasing for some antibiotic-microbe combinations. The results emphasize the importance of including all sectors of a hospital in resistance surveillance studies, and also the value of long surveillance periods.

Surveillance of antibiotic resistance in European ICUs

Antibiotic resistance among bacteria causing hospital-acquired infections poses a threat, particularly to patients in intensive care units (ICUs). In order to control the spread of resistant bacteria, local, regional and national resistance surveillance data must be used to develop efficient intervention strategies. In an attempt to identify national differences and the dynamics of antibiotic resistance in European ICUs, data have been merged from several networks of resistance surveillance performed during the 1990s. It should be stressed, however, that comparisons of results from different studies using different methods and different population samples must be made with caution. Antibiotic resistance across all species and drugs was, with some exceptions, highest in southern European countries and Russia, and lowest in Scandinavia. More effective strategies are needed to control the selection and spread of resistant organisms. Antibiotic intervention policies, efficient infection control measures and an overall awareness of the serious implications at public health level will contribute to the management of antibiotic resistance.