• Chun Hui, Mei-Shin Jao, Tu-Chen Liu, and Ren-Guang Wu.
• Department of Chest Medicine, Cheng-Ching General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address: ph3124wr@yahoo.com.tw.
• J Crit Care. 2013 Oct 1;28(5):728-34.

PurposeThis study aimed to evaluate the impact of previous antibiotic exposure and the influence of time interval since exposure on the evolution of antibiotic-resistant infections.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 167 mechanically ventilated patients with nosocomial infections over a 3-year period, with focus on infections in the bloodstream, urinary tract, lower respiratory tract, and surgical sites.ResultsOf 167 patients, 62% were confirmed as antibiotic resistant. The most common isolated pathogen was extended-spectrum β-lactamase Enterobacteriaceae (43.9%), followed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (22.8%), and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (17.5%). Multivariate analysis revealed that the association between resistance and the time interval increased within 10 days (odds ratio [OR], 2.45; P=.133) and peaked at 11 to 20 days (OR, 7.17; P=.012). The data were categorized into 2 groups: when the time interval was more than 20 days, there was a 23.9% reduction in resistance rate compared with when the time interval was 20 days or less (OR, 0.36; P=.002).ConclusionsAlthough antibiotic exposure increased resistance rate in nosocomial infections, this association decreased as time interval increased. Antibiotic stewardship should consider the significance of time interval while investigating the evolution of subsequent antibiotic-resistant infections.Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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