Antibiotic use in 530 French hospitals: results from a surveillance network at hospital and ward levels in 2007.
OBJECTIVE
Antibiotic use in French hospitals is among the highest in Europe. A study was carried out to describe antibiotic consumption for inpatients at hospital and at ward levels.


METHODS
Data were voluntarily collected retrospectively by 530 hospitals accounting for approximately 40 million patient-days (PD) on the following: antibacterials for systemic use [J01 class of the WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification, defined daily doses (DDD) system, 2007], rifampicin and oral imidazole derivatives, expressed in number of DDD and number of PD in 2007. Consumption was expressed in DDD/1000 PD.


RESULTS
Median antibiotic use ranged from 60 DDD/1000 PD in long-term care (LTC) and psychiatric hospitals to 633 DDD/1000 PD in teaching hospitals. Penicillins and beta-lactamase inhibitors combinations were the most frequently used antibiotics, accounting for 26% of total use in cancer hospitals to 40% in LTC/psychiatric hospitals. Glycopeptides and carbapenems were mostly used in cancer and teaching hospitals. Level of consumption and pattern of use differed according to clinical ward from 60 DDD/1000 PD in psychiatric wards up to 1466 DDD/1000 PD in intensive care units (ICUs). In medicine, surgery, ICU and rehabilitation wards, fluoroquinolones accounted for 13%-19% of the total use.


CONCLUSIONS
This multicentre survey provided detailed information on antibiotic use in a large sample of hospitals and wards, allowing relevant comparisons and benchmarking. Analysis of consumption at the ward level should help hospitals to target practice audits to improve antibiotic use.
Dumartin
Catherine
C
Southwest Regional Coordinating Centre for Nosocomial Infection Control, Bordeaux, France. catherine.dumartin@chu-bordeaux.fr
L'Hériteau
François
F
Péfau
Muriel
M
Bertrand
Xavier
X
Jarno
Pascal
P
Boussat
Sandrine
S
Angora
Pacôme
P
Lacavé
Ludivine
L
Saby
Karine
K
Savey
Anne
A
Nguyen
Florence
F
Carbonne
Anne
A
Rogues
Anne-Marie
AM
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005602:France; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents