Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and antibiotic consumption results from 16 hospitals in Viet Nam- the VINARES project, 2012-2013.

Abstract Objective To establish a hospital-based surveillance network with national coverage for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antibiotic consumption in Viet Nam. Methods A 16-hospital network (Viet Nam Resistance: VINARES) was established consisting of national and provincial-level hospitals across the country. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing results from routine clinical diagnostic specimens and antibiotic consumption data in Defined Daily Dose per 1,000 bed days (DDD/1000 patient-days) were prospectively collected and analysed between October 2012 and September 2013. Results Data from a total of 24 732 de-duplicated clinical isolates were reported. The most common bacteria were: Escherichia coli (4 437 isolates, 18%), Klebsiella spp. (3 290 isolates, 13%) and Acinetobacter spp. (2 895 isolates, 12%). The hospital average antibiotic consumption was 918 DDD/1000 patient-days. Third-generation cephalosporins were the most frequently used antibiotic class (223 DDD/1000 patient-days, 24%), followed by fluoroquinolones (151 DDD/1000 patient-days, 16%) and second-generation cephalosporins (112 DDD/1000 patient-days, 12%). Proportions of antibiotic resistance were high: 1 098/1 580 (69%) of S. aureus isolates were methicillin-resistant (MRSA); 115/344 isolates (33%) and 90/358 (25%) of S. pneumoniae had reduced susceptibility to penicillin and ceftriaxone, respectively. 180/2 977 (6%) of E. coli and 242/1 526 (16%) of K. pneumoniae were resistant to imipenem, respectively; 602/1 826 (33%) of P. aeruginosa were resistant to ceftazidime and 578/1 765 (33%) to imipenem. 1 495/2 138 (70%) of Acinetobacter spp. were resistant to carbapenems and 2/333 (1%) to colistin. Conclusions These data are valuable in providing a baseline for AMR among common bacterial pathogens in Vietnamese hospitals and to assess the impact of interventions.