Intensive Care Antimicrobial Resistance Epidemiology (ICARE) Surveillance Report, data summary from January 1996 through December 1997: A report from the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) System.

The Intensive Care Antimicrobial Resistance Epidemiology project has established laboratory-based surveillance for antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial use at a subset of hospitals participating in the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance system. These data illustrate that, for most antimicrobial resistant organisms studied, rates of resistance were highest in the intensive care unit areas and lowest in the outpatient areas. For most of the antimicrobial agents, the rate of use was highest in the intensive care unit areas in parallel to the pattern seen for resistance. These comparative data on antimicrobial use and resistance among similar areas (ie, intensive care unit or other inpatient areas) can be used as a benchmark by participating hospitals to focus their efforts at addressing antimicrobial resistance.