MYSTIC (Meropenem Yearly Susceptibility Test Information Collection) results from Europe: comparison of antibiotic susceptibilities between countries and centre types.

The activity of meropenem and five comparators has been studied against 7886 isolates from 29 centres in 10 European countries from 1997 to 1999 as part of the Meropenem Yearly Susceptibility Test Information Collection (MYSTIC) surveillance study. Gram-positive and Gram-negative isolates from intensive care units (ICUs), neutropenia centres, cystic fibrosis (CF) centres and general wards were investigated in Belgium (1 year), Czech Republic (2 years), Germany (3 years), Italy (3 years), Poland (2 years), Russia (2 years), Sweden (2 years), Switzerland (1 year), Turkey (1 year) and UK (3 years). Resistance to quinolones and aminoglycosides was observed, as was resistance to the cephalosporins and penicillins via extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and AmpC beta-lactamases. Meropenem showed good activity against the pathogens tested, particularly in CF and neutropenia centres, over the 3 year period. The overall order of potency of the six antimicrobial agents tested was: meropenem > imipenem > piperacillin/tazobactam and ciprofloxacin > ceftazidime > gentamicin. No increase in resistance to the carbapenems, to date, has been detected in any of the European centres included in this study.