Steinbrecher E, Sohr D, Nassauer A, Daschner F, Rüden H, Gastmeier P (2000): Die häufigsten Erreger bei Intensivpatienten mit nosokomialen Infektionen: Ergebnisse des Krankenhaus-Infektions-Surveillance-Systems (KISS). [The most frequent pathogens in intensive care patients with nosocomial infections. Results of the hospital infection surveillance system (KISS)]
Chemother. J 9 (5): 179-183.

Since January 1, 1997, the National Reference Center for Hospital Hygiene in cooperation with the Robert Koch-Institute has recorded data on nosocomial infections (NI) from 127 intensive care units (ICU), using standardized methodologies. Until December 31,1999, a total of 9,695 microbiological isolates from 7,722 NI had been registered. In all NI, S. aureus was most frequently isolated (13.3 %), followed by enterococci (11.0 %), E. coli (11.0 %), P. aeruginosa (9.7 %), and C. albicans (8.8 %). The most frequent pathogens in ventilator-associated pneumonia, catheter-associated bloodstream infection, and catheter-associated urinary tract infection were S. aureus (16.6 %), coagulase-negative staphylococci (33.9 %), and enterococci (23.5 %), respectively. A total of 13.1% of all the S. aureus isolates in NIs were MRSA. P. aeruginosa were found to be multiresistant in 6.5 % of the cases. The data presented is largely consistent with the results obtained in US American studies. They represent a survey of the most frequent pathogens of NI in German ICUs.