Intensive Care Antimicrobial Resistance Epidemiology (ICARE) Surveillance Report, Data Summary from January 1996 through December 1997

The Intensive Care Antimicrobial Resistance Epidemiology project has establ ished laboratory-based surveillance for antimicrobial resistance and antimi crobial use at a subset of hospitals participating in the National Nosocomi al Infections Surveillance system. These data illustrate that, for most ant imicrobial 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 compa rative data on antimicrobial use and resistance among similar areas tie, in tensive care unit or other inpatient areas) can be used as a benchmark by p articipating hospitals to focus their efforts at addressing antimicrobial r esistance.