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JAC Advance Access published online on May 30, 2006
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, doi:10.1093/jac/dkl184
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
Revised April 12, 2006
Accepted April 16, 2006

Original article

European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption (ESAC): outpatient macrolide, lincosamide and streptogramin (MLS) use in Europe

Samuel Coenen 1 * {dagger}, Matus Ferech 2 {dagger}, Surbhi Malhotra-Kumar 2, Erik Hendrickx 3, Carl Suetens 3, Herman Goossens 4, and on behalf of the ESAC Project Group {ddagger}

1 Department of General Practice, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Fund for Scientific Research--Flanders, Brussels, Belgium
2 Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
3 Unit of Epidemiology, Scientific Institute of Public Health, Brussels, Belgium
4 Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Laboratory of Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Samuel Coenen, E-mail: samuel.coenen{at}ua.ac.be


  Abstract

Background: Data on outpatient macrolide, lincosamide and streptogramin (MLS) use in Europe were collected from 25 countries within the ESAC project, funded by DG SANCO of the European Commission, using the WHO ATC/DDD methodology.

Methods: For the period 1997-2003, data on outpatient use of systemic MLS aggregated at the level of the active substance were collected and expressed in DDD (WHO, version 2004) per 1000 inhabitants per day (DID). Macrolide use was analysed in detail, using a classification based on their mean plasma elimination half-life.

Results: Total outpatient MLS use in 2003 varied by a factor of 11 between the country with the highest (9.36 DID in Greece) and lowest (0.85 DID in Sweden) use. MLS use showed high seasonal variation. Short-, intermediate- and long-acting macrolides were used most in 6, 18 and 1 countries, respectively (mainly erythromycin, clarithromyin and azithromycin, respectively). Lincosamide use was observed in all countries (mainly clindamycin) and substantial streptogramin use only in France (pristinamycin). From 1997 to 2003, MLS use increased in 14 countries and was most pronounced in Greece (increase of >5 DID). Except for Sweden, a relative increase of intermediate- (mainly clarithromycin) and/or long-acting (mainly azithromycin) macrolide use was observed, at the expense of short-acting macrolide (mainly erythromycin) use.

Conclusion: The observed differences between European countries in the levels of MLS use and the extreme seasonal variations in their use suggest that this class of antibiotics is prescribed inappropriately in many countries. The MLS classification developed here facilitates a more comprehensive description of macrolide use in Europe. These data (collected as part of ESAC) could promote investigations that lead to a deeper understanding of the link between macrolide use and resistance.

Keywords: antibiotic use; macrolides; drug consumption; pharmacoepidemiology; ambulatory care; Europe.

{dagger}These authors contributed equally to this work.

{ddagger}Members are listed in the Acknowledgements section.


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