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Pneumococcal bacteremia in childhood: a 6-year experience in a community hospital

B R Totapally1, W T Walsh

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Hurley Medical Center, Flint, Mich, USA.

Chest
|May 22, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Pneumococcal bacteremia in children primarily affects those under two years old, with higher rates in African-Americans. While overall mortality is low, meningitis carries a significant fatality risk, and antibiotic resistance is a growing concern.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Pneumococcal bacteremia is a significant cause of childhood illness.
  • Understanding clinical and laboratory features is crucial for timely diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review clinical and laboratory findings in children with pneumococcal bacteremia.
  • To analyze patient demographics, sources of infection, and outcomes.
  • To assess antibiotic resistance patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of medical records from a community teaching hospital.
  • Data collected included patient age, gender, race, clinical presentation, laboratory results, antibiotic therapy, and outcomes.
  • Blood culture records were used to identify cases.

Main Results:

  • The majority of cases (68%) occurred in children younger than 2 years.
  • Common focal sources included pneumonia (37%) and otitis media (30%); 33% had no focal source.
  • Leukocytosis and bandemia were common laboratory findings. Overall mortality was 1.6%, but 14% for meningitis.
  • Penicillin resistance was observed in 6.5% of isolates, with a notable increase in one year.

Conclusions:

  • Clinical and laboratory findings in pediatric pneumococcal bacteremia were characterized.
  • Pneumococci from sterile sites showed lower antibiotic resistance than those from non-sterile sites.
  • The study highlights the importance of monitoring antibiotic resistance trends.
Abstract

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