Antibiotic sensitivity still prevails in Norwegian blood culture isolates

We describe the antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteraemia isolates from N orway. From March 1998 to February 1999, four university hospitals covering all parts of Norway collected their first 10 isolates each month. Minimal inhibitory concentrations were determined for: Enterobacteriaceae (n = 192) , staphylococci (n = 89) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 69) using the Et est. NCCLS breakpoints were used. About 20% of all blood culture isolates i n Norway in this period were investigated. Compared with countries outside Scandinavia antibiotic sensitivity still prevails. Only minor differences i n resistance were found between participating hospitals, between hospital d epartments and between hospital- and community-acquired pathogens. The prud ent use of antibiotics in Norway may contribute to the fact that antibiotic resistance still remains low in the most common bacterial pathogens causin g bloodstream infections. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.