title: [Modern views on pneumococcal infections in infants and toddlers].
abstract: Pneumococci colonize the upper respiratory tract predominantly in sucklings and toddlers. By means of their factors of virulence (capsule, ahesines, peptidoglycan, and polysaccharides of the capsule, cytoplasmic membrane enzymes) they can either avoid or impair the immunity mechanisms causing thus severe infections especially in children younger than three years of age and in patients with immunity defects. Regarding the possibility of occurrence of pneumococci with altered susceptibility to penicillin and some other drugs (erythromycin, cotrimaxazol, ceftriaxon, chloramphenicol, tetracycline) it is necessary to treat severe pneumococcal infections on the basis of in vitro detected susceptibility.
authors.affiliation: Mikrobiologický ústav LFUK a FN, Slovakia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kotulová
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kapellerová
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Palicová
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kotzigová
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy