The MYSTIC (meropenem yearly susceptibility test information collection) programme

The primary objective of the MYSTIC study is to monitor the performance of meropenem over a period of at least 3 years during which this carbapenem is prescribed in different hospital units thus allowing profiles to be establ ished within individual hospitals. Monitoring is being carried out by asses sing the antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial pathogens isolated from pat ients with a predominate problem of intraabdominal infections (IAI) and/or lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), treated in specialist centres (h aematology wards, the Intensive Care Unit [ICU], cystic fibrosis units) and non-specialised centres. Samples will be collected over each year and test ed against meropenem and a set of comparators. The data obtained from the f irst year of the study (1997) come from 33 centres spread mainly throughout Europe but also in Israel and Mexico. The results shows that meropenem ret ains its broad spectrum and potency whilst there is evidence that the activ ity of comparator antibiotics is being eroded by a variety of resistance me chanisms. Data from subsequent years of the programme will determine whethe r these trends continue and will allow a series of individual centre profil es to be compiled and presented. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V . and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.