title: Variation in antibiotic use in neonatal intensive care units in the Netherlands.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the variation in quantity and classes of antibiotics used in all 10 tertiary care neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in the Netherlands during 2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected data from all tertiary care NICUs in the Netherlands on clinical and demographic characteristics and the type and quantity of systemic antibiotic use [expressed as defined daily doses (DDD)/100 admissions] in 2005. Antibiotics were ranked by volume of DDDs, and those antibiotics which accounted for 90% of the total volume of use [drug utilization (DU) 90%] were noted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antibiotic consumption ranged from 130 to 360 DDD/100 admissions. In total, 9-24 different antibiotics were used, of which 3-10 were in the DU90% segment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By comparing antibiotic use in Dutch NICUs we found a considerable variation in the number of different antibiotics used and in the total amount of antibiotic use. Further exploration of the opportunities to reach consensus in antibiotic policy, and to increase attention to antibiotic stewardship, is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. y.liem@umcutrecht.nl
authors.forename: T B Yves
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Liem
authors.forename: Tannette G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Krediet
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fleer
authors.forename: Toine C G
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Egberts
authors.forename: Carin M A
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Rademaker
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D009426:Netherlands
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents