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Purpose To report initial results from a European ICU surveillance programme focussing on antibiotic consumption, microbial resistance and infection control. Methods Thirty-five ICUs participated during 2005. Microbial resistance, antibiotic consumption and infection control stewardship measures were entered locally into a webapplication. Results were validated locally, aggregated by project leaders and fed back to support local audit and benchmarking. Results Median (range) antibiotic consumption was 1,254 (range 348-4,992) DDD per 1,000 occupied bed days. The proportion of MRSA was median 11.6% (range 0-100), for ESBL phenotype of E. coli and K. pneumoniae 3.9% (0-80) and 14.3% (0-77.8) respectively, and for carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa 22.5% (0-100). Screening on admission for alert pathogens was commonly omitted, and there was a lack of single rooms for isolation. Conclusions The surveillance programme demonstrated wide variation in antibiotic consumption, microbial resistance and infection control measures. The programme may, by providing rapid access to aggregated results, promote local and regional audit and benchmarking of antibiotic use and infection control practices.

Brucellosis should be considered as a possible diagnosis among patients with pancytopenia and immune thrombocytopenic purpura in endemic regions.

Doripenem showed excellent activity against Gram-negative isolates; generally it was more active than imipenem and at least as good as meropenem. Against Pseudomonas species, doripenem was more active than both imipenem and meropenem, with doripenem susceptibility observed for some imipenem- and/or meropenem-resistant isolates.

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