EARS-Net
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
capturedAntimicrobial resistance
| Content | |
|---|---|
| Description | Database focused on documentation of eight bacterial pathogens in the EU. |
| Data types captured | Antimicrobial resistance |
| Organisms | Bacteria |
| Access | |
| Website | www |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Bookmarkable entities | yes |
EARS-Net otherwise known as European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network is a central and comprehensive database for the European Union that focuses on eight different bacterial pathogens.[1]
EARS-Net tracks resistance rates reported in routine clinical antimicrobial susceptibility data from local and clinical laboratories, gathered by national surveillance programs and laboratory networks. Resistance status is determined according to EUCAST guidelines. Only data from invasive isolates (blood and cerebrospinal fluid) are included in EARS-Net.[2] The antibiotics for which resistance is tracked varies by species, and is based on EUCAST recommendations. Resistance data is collected for these eight pathogens only:[citation needed]
- Escherichia coli
- Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Acinetobacter species
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Enterococcus faecalis
- Enterococcus faecium
Caveats
Several factors can affect the reliability of inter-country comparisons of resistance rates, due to differences in data quality and biased introduced during data collection and reporting. Several identified by EARS-Net[2] are:
- Population coverage: some countries have large surveillance networks that cover most of their population, while others use a smaller subset of hospitals and laboratories to generate data intended to be representative of the broader population.
- Sampling: EARS-Net data are only collected for invasive isolates (from blood or cerebrospinal fluid). These samples may not be representative of the members of this species that can colonize and infect humans, so resistance rates for other infections, such as urinary tract infections may vary. In some settings, laboratory microbiology work may only be performed in cases where initial antibiotic treatment has failed, leading to an overestimation of resistance rates.
- Laboratory routines and capacity: interpretation of minimum inhibitory concentration may vary across laboratories and countries, depending on current practice. Recommendations around converting minimum inhibitory concentration to resistance status also change over time,[3] making comparison of resistance rates over time challenging.