Antimicrobial Use Prior to the Acquisition of Multiresistant Bacteria

Abstract

AbstractWe assessed whether patients who acquired methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) had less exposure to antimicrobial agents than did those who acquired Enterobacteriaceae that produced extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESβL). In a 6-month, prospective study, ESβL carriers had received antimicrobial therapy more often than had MRSA carriers. Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, fluoroquinolones, and third-generation cephalosporins, especially ceftazidime, had been prescribed more often for ESβL carriers than for MRSA carriers.