Monitoring antimicrobial use and resistance: comparison with a national benchmark on reducing vancomycin use and vancomycin-resistant enterococci

Emerg Infect Dis. 2002 Jul;8(7):702-7. doi: 10.3201/eid0807.010465.

Abstract

To determine if local monitoring data on vancomycin use directed quality improvement and decreased vancomycin use or vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), we analyzed data from 50 intensive-care units (ICUs) at 20 U.S. hospitals reporting data on antimicrobial-resistant organisms and antimicrobial agent use. We compared local data with national benchmark data (aggregated from all study hospitals). After data were adjusted for changes in prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, changes in specific prescriber practice at ICUs were associated with significant decreases in vancomycin use (mean decrease -48 defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days, p<0.001). These ICUs also reported significant decreases in VRE prevalence compared with those not using unit-specific changes in practice (mean decrease of 7.5% compared with mean increase of 5.7%, p<0.001). In this study, practice changes focused towards specific ICUs were associated with decreases in ICU vancomycin use and VRE prevalence.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Benchmarking*
  • Cross Infection / epidemiology
  • Cross Infection / microbiology*
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial*
  • Enterococcus / drug effects*
  • Enterococcus / physiology
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / microbiology
  • Humans
  • Infection Control
  • Intensive Care Units
  • Methicillin / pharmacology
  • Quality Assurance, Health Care
  • Risk Factors
  • United States
  • Vancomycin / pharmacology*
  • Vancomycin Resistance*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Vancomycin
  • Methicillin