The French national observatory for epidemiology of bacterial resistance to antibiotics (ONERBA) includes numerous networks for the surveillance of bacterial resistance to antibiotics.
Objective: The aim of this study was to update antimicrobial resistance data of bacterial pathogens isolated from blood cultures.
Method: Data was collected from several surveillance surveys reviewed by the ONERBA scientific committee during 2003.
Results: Gram positive cocci and Gram negative bacilli accounted respectively for 45 and 49% of all bacteria isolated from blood cultures (N=19 882). The frequency of MRSA among S. aureus was 35%. The frequencies of resistance to penicillin, amoxicillin and cefotaxime of S. pneumoniae were 10, 2, and 0.2%, respectively. In 2002, 70% of coagulase negative staphylococci were resistant to methicillin. Only 50 and 60% of E. coli isolates were susceptible to aminopenicillin and a combination amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, respectively. Since 2001, the susceptibility of E. coli isolates to ciprofloxacin has been regularly decreasing. Imipenem and ceftazidime were the most active antimicrobial agents against P. aeruginosa with a susceptibility rates below 90%.
Conclusion: Data provided by the ONERBA should allow to improve the quality of empiric antimicrobial treatments.