Trends in antibiotic selection pressure generated in primary care and their association with sentinel antimicrobial resistance patterns in Europe

Objectives We studied trends in antibiotic prescribing by primary care and assessed the associations between generated antibiotic selection pressure (ASP) and the prevalence of sentinel drug-resistant microorganisms (SDRMs). Methods The volume of antibiotic prescribing in primary and hospital care expressed in DDD/1000 inhabitants per day and the prevalences of SDRMs in European countries where GPs act as gatekeepers were obtained from the European Centre for Disease Control ESAC-NET. Associations were tested between (i) DDD and (ii) the Antibiotic Spectrum Index (ASI) as a proxy indicator for ASP, and the prevalences of three SDRMs: MRSA, MDR Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pneumoniae resistant to macrolides. Results Fourteen European countries were included. Italy, Poland and Spain had the highest prevalence of SDRMs and prescribed the highest volume of antibiotics in primary care (average 17 DDD per 1000 inhabitants per day), approximately twice that of countries with the lowest volumes. Moreover, the ASIs of these high antibiotic volume countries were approximately three times higher than those of the low-volume countries. Cumulative ASI showed the strongest association with a country's prevalence of SDRMs. The cumulative ASI generated from primary care was about four to five times higher than the cumulative ASI generated by hospital care. Conclusions Prevalences of SDRMs are associated with the volume of antimicrobial prescribing and in particular broad-spectrum antibiotics in European countries where GPs act as gatekeepers. The impact of ASP generated from primary care on increasing antimicrobial resistance may be much larger than currently assumed.

Automated summary

This study investigated trends in antibiotic prescribing in primary care and examined the associations between antibiotic selection pressure (ASP) and the prevalence of drug-resistant microorganisms. The findings revealed significant associations between the volume of antibiotic prescribing, ASP, and the prevalence of drug-resistant microorganisms. Countries with higher antibiotic volumes and ASP had higher prevalence of drug-resistant microorganisms. The study suggests that the impact of ASP generated from primary care on increasing antimicrobial resistance may be larger than currently assumed.