Variation in antibiotic use across intensive care units in the Netherlands
Authors' conclusion
Antibiotic use varied significantly across ICUs, and case-mix did not explain these differences. The ASI provides important information in addition to the other antibiotic use metrics.
Study context
- Population
- All admissions to 11 Dutch ICUs, 2016–2019
- Participants
- 51,205 / 3,059 / 1,094
- Exposure
- ICU-level variation in antibiotic use across 11 Dutch ICUs
- All admissionsn = 51,205
- Pneumonian = 3,059
- Intra-abdominal sepsisn = 1,094
- Outcome
- ICU-level variation in systemic antibiotic use (DDD, DOT, length of therapy, antibiotic free days, AWaRe classification, ASI)
Methodological detailsmulticentre, registry and electronic health record data, case-mix adjusted (indirect standardization, ICU fixed effects)
- Multicentre
- Registry and electronic health record data
- Case-mix adjusted (indirect standardization, ICU fixed effects)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Antibiotic use, overall ICU cohort
| Group | Value | Defined Daily Doses (DDD) per 100 patient-days | Days of Therapy (DOT) per 100 patient-days |
|---|---|---|---|
| All admissions | 73% received ≥1 antibiotic | 88.9 | 91.1 |
All admissions
Value73% received ≥1 antibiotic
Defined Daily Doses (DDD) per 100 patient-days88.9
Days of Therapy (DOT) per 100 patient-days91.1
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Variation in antibiotic use across intensive care units in the Netherlands. J Crit Care. Published 26 May 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →