title: Increasing resistance to penicillin in Streptococcus pneumoniae in southern Sweden.
abstract: The susceptibility to penicillin of 6 prevalent pneumococcal types isolated from nasopharynx in 1992 was compared with that of corresponding types from 1980-82. The 6 types or groups, 6, 9, 14, 15, 19 and 23, constituted 78% of consecutive isolates. 19/204 isolates in 1992 were intermediately resistant (MIC 0.12-1.0 mg/l) in comparison with 1/194 from 1980-82 (p < 0.001). Resistant strains (MIC > or = 2 mg/l) were not found. Of group 15, no fewer than 10/31 isolates were intermediately resistant, which may support the clonal origin and spread of penicillin-resistant pneumococci. At least 5.0% of nasopharyngeal isolates are now intermediately resistant to penicillin. This figure is substantially higher than the 2% earlier reported in Sweden.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Lund University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ekdahl
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kamme
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D010400:Penicillin G / Q000494:pharmacology; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D010404:Penicillin V / Q000494:pharmacology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013548:Sweden; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010400:Penicillin G; D010404:Penicillin V