Antimicrobial consumption and antimicrobial resistance: a snapshot of an Italian neuromuscular rehabilitation center

The paper presents a snapshot of the incidence of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms and antimicrobial consumption in an Italian rehabilitation center over a two-year period (2014-2015). Data on microorganism identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were obtained from the diagnostic laboratory of the hospital. A set of indicators was assessed, including the incidence density of resistant isolates per 1000 patient-days (IDRI). Data on antimicrobial consumption, semi-annually, obtained from the hospital pharmacy, were expressed as Defined Daily Dose (DDD) per 1000 patient-days. The most frequently isolated microorganism was Klebsiella pneumoniae (19.3%), and a significant increase in piperacillin/tazobactam- resistant K. pneumoniae (p=0.04) was observed. Among all antimicrobials used, carbapenems were the most prescribed antibiotic class (31%).