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Antibiotic susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from paediatric patients
C Latorre Otín1, T Jumcasa Morros, I Sanfeliu Sala
1Laboratorio de Microbiologia, Hospital San Juan de Dios, Barcelona, Spain.
Insights
This study found over half of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains showed decreased penicillin susceptibility. Cefotaxime and imipenem were most effective against these resistant bacteria.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Antimicrobial Resistance
Background:
- Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of bacterial infections in children.
- Antimicrobial resistance in S. pneumoniae poses a significant public health threat.
- Understanding local resistance patterns is crucial for effective treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated in Barcelona.
- To identify prevalent resistance mechanisms and serotypes within the studied bacterial population.
Main Methods:
- Ninety-one S. pneumoniae strains were collected from a children's hospital between 1984 and 1986.
- Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed against 14-17 different antimicrobial agents.
- Serotyping was conducted to identify the distribution of different S. pneumoniae serotypes.
Main Results:
- 52.8% of strains exhibited decreased penicillin susceptibility.
- High resistance rates were observed for tetracycline (72.5%) and co-trimoxazole (67%).
- Cefotaxime and imipenem demonstrated excellent activity with low minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs).
Conclusions:
- Penicillin resistance was a significant issue in the studied S. pneumoniae isolates.
- Broad-spectrum cephalosporins (cefotaxime) and carbapenems (imipenem) were effective alternatives.
- Serotype 23 was associated with decreased penicillin susceptibility.
Abstract:
We studied 91 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated in the Children's and Maternity Hospital San Juan de Dios of Barcelona, Spain, from July 1984 to June 1986. All strains were recovered from miscellaneous sites in different patients. We tested their susceptibility to 14 antimicrobial agents: penicillin, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, co-trimoxazole, erythromycin, vancomycin, rifampicin, cephalothin, cefaclor and cefotaxime. In addition, for 56 of the strains, cefonicid, cefoxitin and imipenem were included. We found many strains with decreased penicillin susceptibility (52.8%). Among the beta-lactam antibiotics tested, cefotaxime and imipenem showed the lowest MIC (less than or equal to 1 mg/l). Only 5.5% of the strains showed resistance to erythromycin, and all were susceptible to vancomycin and rifampicin. Tetracycline and co-trimoxazole were the antimicrobials with the highest prevalence of resistance (72.5% and 67%, respectively). Our isolates were distributed in 21 serotypes, serotype 23 being the most frequent among strains with decreased penicillin susceptibility (50%).