The effect of monitoring of antibiotic use on decreasing antibiotic resistance in the hospital.

In Greece, antibiotic over-consumption and high resistance rates run in parallel. In the spring of 1989 surveillance of 12500 Gram-negative strains, derived from 55 hospitals from all over Greece, revealed that resistance rates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp., Klebsiella spp. and Acinetobacter spp. to antimicrobial agents introduced after 1985 exceeded 50%. As a consequence, the application of (1) rules of hospital hygiene, (2) educational small group programs, and (3) an antibiotic policy aiming to restrict antibiotic use, was decided in Laiko General Hospital. Since 1989, imipenem, the newer quinolones, vancomycin, aztreonam and third-generation cephalosporins were only ordered to the hospital pharmacy after completion of a specific request form, which since 1991 has been more detailed and which can be signed only by physicians with interest in infectious diseases. In 1991, in cooperation with the pharmacy, an audit program was added requiring a final inspection of the already approved request forms by an infectious diseases specialist. Any disagreement was discussed with the physicians in charge. Consumption data were analysed monthly and discussed with each department. Newer antibiotic consumption in a selected month (November) of three consecutive years, before (1991) and after the application of the audit program (1992-1995) has been analysed. Results reveal a decrease in consumption of restricted antibiotics, especially in surgical departments and in kidney transplantation units, without simultaneous increase in consumption of the non-restricted compounds. Since 1994, resistance has decreased remarkably. However, the resistance of quinolones is increasing steeply. Consequently, for the last 12 months quinolones have been removed from the hospital formulary. An audit program requires close co-operation of physicians, pharmacists and, particularly, of surgeons, in the application of a correct prophylaxis regimen. It seems to be efficacious in reducing both resistance rates and total antibiotic consumption.