Antibiotic consumption at 46 VINCat hospitals from 2007 to 2009, stratified by hospital size and clinical services.

The aim of the study was to assess the evolution of antibiotic consumption in acute care hospitals in Catalonia (population 7.5 million), according to hospital size and department, during the period 2007-2009. The methodology used for monitoring antibiotic consumption was the ATC/DDD system, and the unit of measurement was DDD/100 occupied bed-days (DDD/100 OBD). Hospitals were stratified according to size: I) large university hospitals (with more than 500 beds); II) medium-sized hospitals (between 200 and 500 beds); and III) small hospitals (fewer than 200 beds). The consumption was also analyzed and stratified according to department: medical, surgical and intensive care unit (ICU). Specific training in data management on antibiotic consumption was given to all participant hospitals before the implementation of the program. The mean antibiotic (J01) consumption, calculated in DDD/100 OBD, increased although without statistical significance (p=0.640): 74.68 (2007), 75.13 (2008) and 78.04 (2009). The values of the medians expressed in DDD/100 OBD in group I were 83.27 (in 2007), 82.16 (2008) and 86.93 (2009), in group II 72.60 (2007), 70.78 (2008) and 75.17 (2009) and in group III 65.66 (2007), 69.32 (2008) and 72.39 (2009). Antibiotic consumption was higher in large hospitals than in medium-sized or small hospitals. Catalan hospitals recorded an increase of 4.49% from 2007 to 2009, especially due to the rising use of carbapenems, cephalosporins, monobactams and the other antibiotic groups.