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Antibiotic Resistance in the Intensive Care Unit

  • Conference paper
Yearbook of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine 2001

Part of the book series: Yearbook of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine 2001 ((YEARBOOK,volume 2001))

Abstract

Health care delivery in the intensive care unit (ICU) continues to face new and difficult challenges, especially with increases in the severity of illness. Antibiotic consumption is nearly ten times greater in the ICU than on general medical floors [1]. The widespread use of broad-spectrum antibiotics has fuelled the emergence of resistant microorganisms. Hospital epidemics with multi-drug resistant organisms are a major issue, with individual ICUs having their own sensitivity patterns and epidemics with different microorganisms. The development of newer and more potent antibacterial agents cannot keep up with increasing antimicrobial resistance. The estimated cost of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection is between $ 4–5 million per year to US taxpayers [2].

“The survival of the fittest by natural selection, with the emergence of a new species”

This Darwinian principle also finds its way into the intensive care unit with epidemics of infection with resistant bacteria further complicating the care of critically ill patients.

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Authors
  1. R. M. Mehta
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  2. M. S. Niederman
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Intensive Care Erasme Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Route de Lennik 808, B-1070, Brussels, Belgium

    Jean-Louis Vincent (Head) (Head)

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Mehta, R.M., Niederman, M.S. (2001). Antibiotic Resistance in the Intensive Care Unit. In: Vincent, JL. (eds) Yearbook of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine 2001. Yearbook of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine 2001, vol 2001. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59467-0_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59467-0_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-41407-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-59467-0

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