The relationship between trends in macrolide use and resistance to macrolides of common respiratory pathogens

• Published in: Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy 2001-04, Vol.47 (4), p.475-477
• Main Authors: Čižman, Milan, Pokorn, Marko, Seme, Katja, Oražem, Andreja, Paragi, Metka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ambulatory Care; Anti-Bacterial Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Bacteria - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Haemophilus influenzae - drug effects; Humans; Linear Models; Macrolides; Medical sciences; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis - drug effects; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Respiratory Tract Infections - drug therapy; Slovenia - epidemiology; Streptococcus pneumoniae - drug effects; Streptococcus pyogenes - drug effects; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0305-7453; 1460-2091; 1460-2091
• DOI: 10.1093/jac/47.4.475

The correlation between increased macrolide consumption and the resistance of Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis to macrolides in Slovenia from 1994 to 1999 was evaluated. The outpatient consumption of macrolides increased from 1.89 to 3.84 defined daily doses (DDD)/1000 inhabitants/day during the observation period. This increase in macrolide consumption was paralleled by a steady increase in macrolide resistance in S. pyogenes (from 0 to 7.4%, r = 0.90, P = 0.014) and upper respiratory S. pneumoniae isolates (from 0 to 9%, r = 0.82, P = 0.044). In other pathogens studied, no significant increase was detected.