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Suggested citation: Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC). AURA 2016: first Australian report on antimicrobial use and resistance in human health. Sydney: ACSQHC, 2016.
An online version of this report can be accessed at www.safetyandquality.gov.au.
Many individuals and organisations gave their time and expertise over an extended period to this report, and the Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Australia (AURA) project, which were undertaken by the Commission. In particular, the Commission wishes to thank the Australian Government Department of Health, the Australian Group on Antimicrobial Resistance, the National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship, SA Health, Queensland Health, Pathology Queensland, Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, NPS MedicineWise, the National Neisseria Network, the Australian Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory Network, and other key experts who have provided their time and considered advice. The involvement and willingness of all concerned to share their experience and expertise are greatly appreciated.
Members of the AURA Project Reference Group are Professor John Turnidge, Dr Phillipa Binns, Professor Marilyn Cruickshank, Dr Jenny Firman, Ms Aine Heaney, Mr Duncan McKenzie, Adjunct Professor Kathy Meleady, Dr Brett Mitchell, Professor Graeme Nimmo, Dr Alicia Segrave, Professor Karin Thursky, Dr Morgyn Warner, Professor Roger Wilson and Associate Professor Leon Worth.
The members of the Commission’s AURA team are also acknowledged for their significant contribution to the development of the AURA Surveillance System and this report.
This report is based on the best data and evidence available at the time of development.
Contents 3
Executive summary 4
What is antimicrobial resistance? 4
Key findings: antimicrobial use and appropriateness of prescribing 5
Antimicrobial use in hospitals 5
Antimicrobial use in the community – primary care 7
Antimicrobial use in the community – residential aged care facilities 9
Key findings: antimicrobial resistance 10
Resistance trends of concern 13
Key findings: international comparisons 14
Antimicrobial use in hospitals 14
Antimicrobial use in the community 15
Antimicrobial resistance 16
Future developments 20
Chapter 1 Introduction 22
Key messages 22
1.1 Background 22
1.2 Importance of antimicrobial resistance 23
1.3 Cost and impact of antimicrobial resistance to individuals and the community 23
1.4 Australian healthcare system context 24
1.5 Importance of surveillance 25
1.6 Developing the Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Australia Surveillance System 29
Data collections contributing to the Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Australia Surveillance System 31
1.7 AURA 2016 report 31
Chapter 2 Data sources and methods 33
Key messages 33
2.1 Types of data and information collected under the Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Australia Surveillance System 33
2.2 Sources of data for antimicrobial use and appropriateness 34
2.3 Sources of data for antimicrobial resistance 35
2.4 Considerations for interpreting the data 38
Chapter 3 Antimicrobial use and appropriateness 39
Key messages 39
Hospitals 39
Community 39
Residential aged care facilities 39
3.1 Antimicrobial use in hospitals 40
Volume of antimicrobial use in hospitals 41
Appropriateness of prescribing in hospitals 58
Commentary 66
Gaps and improvements 68
3.2 Antimicrobial use in the community – primary care 70
Antimicrobial use in primary care 70
Appropriateness of prescribing in primary care 83
Commentary 89
Gaps and improvements 92
3.3 Antimicrobial use in the community – residential aged care facilities 93
Antimicrobial use in residential aged care 93
Appropriateness of prescribing in residential aged care 97
Commentary 98
Gaps and improvements 99
Chapter 4 Antimicrobial resistance 100
Key messages 100
4.1 Introduction 101
Priority organisms for surveillance 101
Data on priority organisms 102
4.2 Acinetobacter baumannii 106
Health impact 106
Treatment 106
Types and impact of resistance 107
Key findings (Queensland) 107
4.3 Enterobacteriaceae 108
Health impact 108
Treatment 109
Types and impact of resistance 109
Key findings (national) 110
Jurisdictional rates 117
Additional findings from targeted surveillance 122
4.4 Enterococcus species 126
Health impact 126
Treatment 127
Types and impact of resistance 127
Key findings (national) 127
Jurisdictional rates 131
Additional findings from targeted surveillance 135
4.5 Mycobacterium tuberculosis 138
Health impact 138
Treatment 138
Types and impact of resistance 138
Key findings (national) 139
Jurisdictional rates 140
National trends 141
4.6 Neisseria gonorrhoeae 142
Health impact 142
Treatment 142
Types and impact of resistance 143
Key findings (national) 143
Jurisdictional rates 144
National trends 145
4.7 Neisseria meningitidis 146
Health impact 146
Treatment 146
Types and impact of resistance 146
Key findings (national) 146
National trends 147
4.8 Pseudomonas aeruginosa 148
Health impact 148
Treatment 148
Types and impact of resistance 148
Key findings (Queensland) 148
4.9 Salmonella species 150
Health impact 150
Treatment 151
Types and impact of resistance 151
Key findings (national) 151
Additional findings from targeted surveillance on blood culture isolates 153
4.10 Shigella species 155
Health impact 155
Treatment 155
Types and impact of resistance 155
Key findings (Queensland) 155
4.11 Staphylococcus aureus 156
Health impact 156
Treatment 157
Types and impact of resistance 157
Key findings (national) 157
Jurisdictional rates 164
4.12 Streptococcus agalactiae 169
Health impact 169
Treatment 169
Types and impact of resistance 169
Key findings (Queensland) 169
4.13 Streptococcus pneumoniae 170
Health impact 170
Treatment 170
Types and impact of resistance 170
Key findings (Queensland) 171
4.14 Streptococcus pyogenes 173
Health impact 173
Treatment 173
Types and impact of resistance 173
Key findings (Queensland) 173
Chapter 5 International comparisons 176
Key messages 176
5.1 Antimicrobial use 176
Community use 177
Hospital use 180
5.2 Antimicrobial resistance 182
Escherichia coli 182
Klebsiella pneumoniae 186
Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium 189
5.3 Commentary 191
Chapter 6 Emerging issues 193
Key messages 193
6.1 Carbapenem use in Australian hospitals 193
Current guidelines 197
Potential actions 197
6.2 Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae and carbapenem resistance 198
Management of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae infections 198
Impact and spread of carbapenemases 198
International spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae 199
Carbapenemase-producing organisms in Australia 199
Implications for Australia 199
Potential actions 200
6.3 Antimicrobial use and appropriateness in surgical prophylaxis 200
Surgical National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey 200
Results 200
Potential actions 201
Chapter 7 Conclusions and future developments 202
Key messages 202
7.1 Lessons from AURA 2016 202
7.2 Next steps for the AURA Surveillance System 204
National alert system for critical antimicrobial resistances 204
7.3 Future AURA reports 206
Appendix 1 Data source description 208
A1.1 Antimicrobial use collections 208
National Antimicrobial Utilisation Surveillance Program 208
National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey 209
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme 210
Additional data and analysis 210
MedicineInsight program 211
Report on government services 2015 212
Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health program 213
Aged Care National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey 213
A1.2 Antimicrobial resistance collections 214
Australian Group on Antimicrobial Resistance 214
National Neisseria Network 215
National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System 216
OrgTRx and Pathology Queensland 217
Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology 218
Appendix 2 Priority organisms 219
Appendix 3 Resources 221
A3.1 Australian reports and resources 221
A3.2 International surveillance reports 221
Appendix 4 Terminology 222
A4.1 Acronyms 222
A4.2 Common terms 222
References 225