Association between antibiotic resistance in intensive care unit (ICU)–acquired infections and excess resource utilization: Evidence from Spain, Italy, and Portugal

Intensive care unit (ICU)–acquired infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been associated with substantial health and economic costs. Moreover, southern Europe has historically reported high levels of antimicrobial resistance.

ICU-acquired infections associated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria are substantially associated with a 15% increase in excess LOS and resource utilization in 3 southern European countries. However, failure to appropriately control for significant confounders inflates estimates by ∼2.5-fold.