Association between antibiotic consumption and the rate of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria from China based on 153 tertiary hospitals data in 2014

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the rate of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria and antibiotic consumption intensity in 153 tertiary hospitals from China in 2014. METHODS: A retrospective study using national surveillance data from 2014 was conducted. Data on the annual consumption of each antibiotic, as well as the rate of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, were collected from each participating hospital, and the correlation between antibiotic consumption and carbapenem- resistant rate was analyzed. RESULTS: The overall antibiotic consumption intensity among the hospitals varied between 23.93 and 86.80 defined daily dosages (DDDs) per 100 patient-days (median, 46.30 DDDs per 100 patient-days). Cephalosporins were the most commonly used antibiotic, followed by quinolones, penicillins, and carbapenems, and the rate of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria from each hospital varied. The correlations between carbapenem consumption intensity and rate of carbapenem resistance revealed correlation factors of 0.271 for Escherichia coli (p < 0.01), 0.427 for Klebsiella pneumoniae (p < 0.01), 0.463 for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (p < 0.01), and 0.331 for Acinetobacter baumannii (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A significant relationship existed between the carbapenem consumption and the rates of carbapenem-resistant gram negative bacilli. Rational use of carbapenems should be implemented to address the issue of carbapenem resistance in hospitals. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13756-018-0430-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.