Antimicrobial resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae: a growing universal concern

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia, otitis media, bacteremia, and meningitis in infants, children, and immunocompromised and splenectomized patients. After the introduction of penicillin in 1940, pneumococci were regarded as uniformly sensitive to minimal inhibi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the National Medical Association 1989-09, Vol.81 (9), p.937-941
Main Authors: Hussein, S S, Shibl, A M, Bahakem, H M, Sofan, M M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology
Drug Resistance, Microbial
Global Health
Humans
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Streptococcus pneumoniae - drug effects
Streptococcus pneumoniae - isolation & purification
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia, otitis media, bacteremia, and meningitis in infants, children, and immunocompromised and splenectomized patients. After the introduction of penicillin in 1940, pneumococci were regarded as uniformly sensitive to minimal inhibitory concentrations (less than or equal to 0.05 microgram/mL). This idea persisted until 1967, when the first strain showing increased resistance to penicillin was isolated. Pneumococci with intermediate penicillin resistance recovered from different geographic areas have minimum inhibitory concentrations of 0.1 to 1.0 microgram/mL. In 1977, however, resistant strains were isolated with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 2 to 10 micrograms/mL; subsequently, strains resistant to other antibiotics including tetracycline, sulfonamides, erythromycin, lincomycin, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, streptomycin, and rifampin have also been reported. The authors emphasize the need for continued surveillance of pneumococcal isolates and recommend sensitivity testing of all isolates to penicillin.
ISSN:0027-9684