TIEMERSMA EW, LYYTIKAINEN O, BRONZWAER S, SCHRIJNEMAKERS P, WITTE W; EARSS participants; Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (42nd : 2002 : San Diego, Calif.).
Abstr Intersci Conf Antimicrob Agents Chemother Intersci Conf Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2002 Sep 27-30; 42: abstract no. C2-293.
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
BACKGROUND: Susceptibility test results of Staphylococcus aureus (SAU) from invasive blood isolates are being collected through EARSS from 1999 onwards. We present SAU data for the period 1999-2001. METHODS: Participating laboratories report SAU susceptibility data as susceptible or resistant. Comparability of data is ensured through extern quality assurance by UK-NEQAS. All SAU isolates are tested for oxacillin, and non-susceptibility is confirmed by quantitative oxacillin and vancomycin susceptibility tests and/or determination of the MecA gene by PCR. All data is collected at national level, forwarded to the National Institute of Public Health, the Netherlands for further analysis and analysed in SAS 8.1. RESULTS: From 1999 to 2001, data from 953 hospitals in 25 countries were reported to EARSS, resulting in a total number of 31,206 SAU blood isolates of which 5,779 (19%) were MRSA. The proportion of MRSA isolates varied >100-fold within Europe, ranging from 0.4% in Denmark and the Netherlands (both >1,700 isolates) to 45% in Malta (159 isolates). MRSA rates were relatively high in southern countries, whereas proportions were <1% in Scandinavia. During 1999-2001, MRSA rates most rapidly increased in the UK (from 33% to 45%). All MRSA isolates were susceptible to vancomycin. MRSA was more frequently found in isolates from intensive care units (32%) than from other hospital wards (19%; p<0.01). Also, MRSA rates increased with age (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: 1. Our results are consistent with those reported from other surveillance systems; 2. We found striking differences in MRSA rates between countries; 3. MRSA rates in the UK are rapidly increasing and are now the highest in Europe.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Denmark
- Europe
- Hospitals
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Oxacillin
- Risk Management
- Scandinavia
- Staphylococcal Infections
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Time
- Vancomycin
- economics
- epidemiology
- methods
- organization & administration
- trends
Other ID:
UI: 102267312
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