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Published on: February 23, 2014

Changing trends in antimicrobial-resistant pneumococci: it's not all bad news

Donald E Low1

  • 1Department of Microbiology, University Health Network/Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. dlow@mtsinai.on.ca

Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
|July 21, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Multidrug-resistant pneumococci increased globally in the 1990s. However, antimicrobial resistance is now decreasing in some areas due to responsible antimicrobial use and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, indicating progress is possible.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The early 1990s saw a significant global rise in multidrug-resistant pneumococci.
  • This trend posed a major challenge to treating bacterial infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze trends in antimicrobial resistance in pneumococci.
  • To investigate factors contributing to changes in resistance patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Review of global antimicrobial resistance data for Streptococcus pneumoniae.
  • Analysis of the impact of antimicrobial stewardship programs.
  • Assessment of the role of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.

Main Results:

  • A notable decrease in resistance to certain antimicrobials has been observed in specific regions.
  • This decline correlates with increased antimicrobial stewardship and vaccine implementation.

Conclusions:

  • The rise in multidrug-resistant pneumococci may be reversible.
  • Judicious antimicrobial use and vaccination are effective strategies against resistance.

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