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.

Surveillance of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in intensive care units (SARI): 1. Antimicrobial use in German intensive care units.

Objective: To study antimicrobial use for benchmarking and ensuring quality of antimicrobial treatment and to identify risk factors associated with the high use of antimicrobials in German intensive care units (ICUs) through implementation of the SARI (Surveillance of Antimicrobial Use and Antimicrobial Resistance in ICUs) system.

Design: Prospective, unit-based surveillance on antimicrobial use from February, 2000, until June, 2002. The data are standardised by use of the defined daily dose (DDD) for each antimicrobial defined by the WHO and by calculating use per 1000 patient days.