title: The prevalence of antibiotic resistance in Haemophilus influenzae in Ireland.
abstract: From January to April 1988, 36 clinical microbiology laboratories in Northern Ireland and Eire took part in a survey to determine the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in Haemophilus influenzae. All isolates were collected and despatched to a coordinating laboratory where identification was confirmed and antibiotic sensitivity tests repeated. One thousand seven hundred and ninety strains were available for analysis. Of these, 10.9% were resistant to ampicillin (10.2% being beta-lactamase producers), 0.4% to amoxycillin-clavulanate, 2.1% to cefaclor, 3.7% to chloramphenicol, 2.6% to erythromycin, 4.1% to tetracycline, 2.6% to sulphonamide and 5.1% to trimethoprim. One hundred and nine strains (6.3%) were resistant to two or more of the antibiotics tested and 31 (1.7%) exhibited combined resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol and tetracycline. The prevalence of resistance to ampicillin and chloramphenicol was higher than had been previously recorded in largescale studies conducted on the British mainland.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Gwynedd Hospital, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, North Wales, UK.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000187:drug effects*; D007494:Ireland; D007769:Lactams; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000494:pharmacology; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D014295:Trimethoprim / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007769:Lactams; D013449:Sulfonamides; D004917:Erythromycin; D002701:Chloramphenicol; D014295:Trimethoprim; D013752:Tetracycline