Computerized colonization-surveillance based on antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.

In order to estimate the occurrence of hospital-acquired colonizations, a specific program based on antimicrobial susceptibility tests was developed for the early recognition of clusters of colonized patients. This program allowed: (a) estimation of the endemic level of nosocomial colonization every three days within an intensive care unit; (b) detection of outbreak of hospital-acquired infections; (c) distinction between primary and secondary infections according to the dates of admission and collection; (d) provision of the latest profiles of susceptibility to antimicrobials for the 5 pathogens studied (Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Serratia spp., Pseudomonas spp., Acinetobacter spp.). This study reported the experience of a two-year trial in colonization surveillance.