[Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance of bacteria isolated from bloodstream infections: data of the French National Observatory for Epidemiology of Bacterial Resistance to Antibiotics (ONERBA), 1998-2003].

UNLABELLED: The French national observatory for epidemiology of bacterial resistance to antibiotics (ONERBA) includes numerous networks for the surveillance of bacterial resistance to antibiotics.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to update antimicrobial resistance data of bacterial pathogens isolated from blood cultures.

METHOD: Data was collected from several surveillance surveys reviewed by the ONERBA scientific committee during 2003.

RESULTS

Gram positive cocci and Gram negative bacilli accounted respectively for 45 and 49% of all bacteria isolated from blood cultures (N=19 882). The frequency of MRSA among S. aureus was 35%. The frequencies of resistance to penicillin, amoxicillin and cefotaxime of S. pneumoniae were 10, 2, and 0.2%, respectively. In 2002, 70% of coagulase negative staphylococci were resistant to methicillin. Only 50 and 60% of E. coli isolates were susceptible to aminopenicillin and a combination amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, respectively. Since 2001, the susceptibility of E. coli isolates to ciprofloxacin has been regularly decreasing. Imipenem and ceftazidime were the most active antimicrobial agents against P. aeruginosa with a susceptibility rates below 90%.

CONCLUSION

Data provided by the ONERBA should allow to improve the quality of empiric antimicrobial treatments.