Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in German intensive care units during 2000-2003: data from Project SARI (Surveillance of Antimicrobial Use and Antimicrobial Resistance in Intensive Care Units).

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to analyze methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) percentages (defined as the percentage of S. aureus isolates that are resistant to methicillin) and antimicrobial consumption in intensive care units (ICUs) participating in Project SARI (Surveillance of Antimicrobial Use and Antimicrobial Resistance in Intensive Care Units), to look for temporal changes in MRSA percentages and antimicrobial consumption in individual ICUs as an indicator of the impact of an active surveillance system, and to investigate the differences between ICUs with increased MRSA percentages versus those with decreased percentages during a period of 3 years (2001-2003).

METHODS

This was a prospective, ICU-based and laboratory-based surveillance study involving 38 German ICUs during 2000-2003. Antimicrobial use was reported in terms of defined daily doses (DDDs) per 1,000 patient-days. Temporal changes in the MRSA percentage and antimicrobial use in individual ICUs were calculated by means of the Wilcoxon signed rank test. The incidence density of nosocomial MRSA infection was defined as the number of nosocomial MRSA infections per 1,000 patient-days.

RESULTS

From February 2000 through December 2003, a total of 38 ICUs reported data on 499,694 patient-days and 9,552 S. aureus isolates, including 2,249 MRSA isolates and 660,029 DDDs of antimicrobials. Cumulative MRSA percentages ranged from 0% to 64.4%, with a mean of 23.6%. The MRSA incidence density ranged from 0 to 38.2 isolates per 1,000 patient-days, with a mean of 2.77 isolates per 1,000 patient-days. There was a positive correlation between MRSA percentage and imipenem and ciprofloxacin use (P<.05). Overall, comparison of data from 2001 with data from 2003 showed that MRSA percentages increased in 18 ICUs (median increase, 13.2% [range, 1.6%-38.4%]) and decreased in 14 ICUs (median decrease, 12% [range, 1.0%-48.4%]). Increased use of third-generation cephalosporins, glycopeptides, or aminoglycosides correlated significantly with an increase in the MRSA percentage (P<.05). The cumulative nosocomial MRSA infection incidence density for 141 ICUs that did not participate in SARI and, therefore, did not receive feedback increased from 0.26 to 0.35 infections per 1,000 patient-days during a 3-year period, whereas the rate in SARI ICUs decreased from 0.63 to 0.40 infections per 1,000 patient-days.

CONCLUSION

The MRSA situation in German ICUs is still heterogeneous. Because MRSA percentages range from 0% to 64.4%, further studies are required to confirm findings that no change in the MRSA percentage and a decrease in the nosocomial MRSA infection incidence density in SARI ICUs reflect the impact of an active surveillance system.