Infection
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Due to the enormous increase in the number of MRSA-patients, in July 2004, an extended admission screening protocol was implemented in ICUs and surgical wards at Hannover Medical School. ⋯ Despite extended admission screening, 37% of all MRSA-positive inpatients were missed. The neurological patients were identified as a further risk group and were included in the admission screening procedure established.
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Massive antibiotic use in intensive care units (ICU) is associated with increased microbial resistance. Therefore avoiding unneccesary antibiotic usage is essential. To achieve a more considered antibiotic prescribing practice, a new antibiotic policy was implemented at our ICU. In this paper, we evaluated the impact of this intervention, and described the aetiology and incidence of blood stream infections and selected antibiotic-resistant pathogens. ⋯ This study has confirmed that establishing a targeted LAMP, based on close co-operation between intensive care physicians and infectious disease specialists together with a restricted prescribing authority, can reduce the use of antibiotics.