This report presents the first national surveillance results for nosocomial bacteremia in France. In 2002, 268 healthcare facilities participated in the French surveillance network for nosocomial bacteremia. These facilities accounted for 25% of all hospital beds in France and 33% of short-stay hospital beds. The incidence of nosocomial bacteremia in short-stay units is 0.60 per 1,000 patient-hospitalization days. It is highest in intensive care units (2.48%). Catheters are the most common route of entry (21.5%); the urinary tract is also a common route (19.6%). Staphylococcus species are predominant among the isolated pathogens (S. aureus: 20.7%, coagulase-negative S. species: 16.3%); E. coli is also very frequently found, accounting for 18.2% of the isolated pathogens. The frequency of methicillin resistance in S. aureus is high (45.6%); it is even higher for S. epidermidis (64.3%). The frequency of deaths (from any cause) occurring within 7 days of the onset of the episodes is 13.2% of episodes. (R.A.)