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Increased antibiotic resistance in respiratory tract pathogens: PROTEKT US--an update

Adolf W Karchmer1

  • 1Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215-5399, USA. Akarchme@bidmc.harvard.edu

Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
|November 17, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Antimicrobial resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae is increasing across North America. Surveillance programs show rising resistance to common antibiotics, signaling a growing threat from respiratory pathogens.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant global health concern.
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of community-acquired respiratory tract infections.
  • Effective antibiotic treatment relies on understanding current resistance patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze antimicrobial resistance trends in Streptococcus pneumoniae and other respiratory pathogens in North America.
  • To identify emerging resistance patterns and geographic variations.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from three major North American surveillance programs: Canadian Bacterial Surveillance Network (CBSN), Tracking Resistance in the United States Today (TRUST), and the US component of the Prospective Resistant Organism Tracking and Epidemiology for the Ketolide Telithromycin (PROTECT) study.
  • Monitoring resistance patterns to key antibiotic classes including penicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, macrolides, and fluoroquinolones.

Main Results:

  • Progressive increase in resistance among Streptococcus pneumoniae to penicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, macrolides, and fluoroquinolones observed in Canada.
  • Steady rise in pneumococcal resistance and an increase in multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae reported in the US (TRUST study).
  • Increasing resistance to various antimicrobial agents detected in common respiratory isolates, with notable geographic variations (PROTECT study).

Conclusions:

  • Surveillance data indicate a concerning trend of increasing antimicrobial resistance in common respiratory pathogens.
  • These findings serve as a warning signal for the continued emergence of resistance.
  • Urgent strategies are needed to address the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance in community-acquired respiratory tract infections.

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