Table 1

Pooled mean antimicrobial resistance of selected pathogens in German intensive care units (number of ICUs), 2001 to 2008

Resistant pathogen (number tested against each antimicrobial)

2001

(n = 36)

2002

(n = 35)

2003

(n = 38)

2004

(n = 40)

2005

(n = 44)

2006

(n = 46)

2007

(n = 45)

2008

(n = 45)

P value*

Methicillin-resistant

Staphylococcus aureus (27,446)

26.0

22.4

20.9

19.5

22.6

22.2

20.6

19.5

0.006 (-)

Vancomycin-resistant

Enterococcus faecium (6,331)

2.3

1.2

1.2

5.4

5.4

2.2

3.6

8.2

0.008 (+)

3GC-resistant

Escherichia coli (18,425)

1.2

1.8

2.9

3.8

3.7

5.1

11.1

10.5

< 0.001 (+)

Ciprofloxacin-resistant

Escherichia coli (16,184)

8.3

11.9

14.1

16.5

18.2

16.4

20.9

24.2

< 0.001 (+)

3GC-resistant

Klebsiella pneumoniae (7,457)

3.8

12.2

5.9

6.5

6.5

6.5

10.4

15.1

< 0.007 (+)

Imipenem-resistant

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10,468)

24.0

22.8

23.5

23.8

22.0

24.4

27.0

25.5

No trend

Ciprofloxacin-resistant

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11,590)

19.7

18.4

15.6

19.5

17.4

19.3

17.0

16.0

No trend

Imipenem-resistant

Acinetobacter baumannii (2,014)

1.1

0.7

1.0

2.5

6.3

20.3

9.7

4.5

0.002 (+)

Imipenem-resistant

Klebsiella pneumoniae (5,732)

0.4

0.2

0.3

0.3

0.0

0.3

0.4

1.1

NA

ICU, intensive care unit; 3GC, third-generation cephalosporin; NA, not applicable because the assumptions of normal distribution are not fulfilled. *P value for the linear regression coefficient; +, increase; -, decrease.

Meyer et al. Critical Care 2010 14:R113   doi:10.1186/cc9062