Surveillance of antibiotic resistance

Resistance among bacteria is on the rise, both in the hospital and in the community. Surveillance is needed for guided empiric treatment and to detect new resistance mechanisms at an early stage. Surveillance shows a wide variation in resistance among hospitals and countries. Especially methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci are uncommon in north western European countries but frequently observed otherwise elsewhere. Among Gram-negative bacteria regional differences are less obvious. Many hospitals all over the world suffer from recurrent outbreaks by Enterobacteriaceae that produce extended spectrum beta-lactamases, Acinetobacter, etc. Because of the evolving pattern of resistance, surveillance should be done at regular intervals in all hospitals and in the community.