National disparities in the relationship between antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial consumption in Europe: an observational study in 29 countries

Abstract

We found associations between national community antimicrobial consumption and national hospital antimicrobial resistance across a wide range of bacteria. These associations were not uniform. Different mechanisms may drive resistance in hospital-based invasive infections. Future research on international variations in antimicrobial resistance should consider environmental factors, agricultural use, vaccination policies and prescribing quality.