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Published on: February 14, 2018
Antifungal use in intensive care units
Elisabeth Meyer1, Frank Schwab, Petra Gastmeier
1Institute of Environmental Medicine and Hospital Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Freiburg, Freiburg University Hospital, Breisacher Str. 115B, 79106 Freiburg, Germany. elisabeth.meyer@uniklinik-freiburg.de
The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
|July 5, 2007
Summary
Antifungal use in intensive care units (ICUs) varied widely, with higher rates in transplant ICUs. High quinolone use and treating transplant patients were key risk factors for increased antifungal consumption.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Critical Care Medicine
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Antifungal drug consumption in intensive care units (ICUs) requires benchmarking for effective use analysis.
- Understanding risk factors associated with antifungal use is crucial for optimizing treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish benchmarking data for systemic antifungal drug use in German ICUs.
- To identify independent risk factors correlating with antifungal consumption.
- To analyze the relationship between antifungal and antibiotic use patterns.
Main Methods:
- Data on antimicrobial usage density (AD) were collected from 13 ICUs over 18 months.
- Statistical analyses included Spearman correlation, Wilcoxon test, and multivariate regression.
- Risk factors for antifungal use were identified using multivariate linear regression.
Main Results:
- Mean systemic antifungal use was 93.0 AD, with significant variation (18.9–232.2 AD).
- ICUs treating transplant patients showed substantially higher antifungal use (152.9 AD) than others (46.0 AD).
- High quinolone use and the presence of transplant patients were independent risk factors for elevated antifungal use.
Conclusions:
- Systemic antifungal use in German ICUs is heterogeneous, necessitating stratified benchmarking.
- Identifying specific risk factors like quinolone consumption and transplant patient care can guide strategies to reduce antifungal use.
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