title: Epidemiology of community-acquired Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in children.
abstract: The epidemiology of community-acquired Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in children during a one-year period (January through December 1993) was evaluated. A total of 6,859 clinical samples, each one representing a separate individual with suspected infection, were cultured. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from 218 children with various infections occurring in the following order of frequency: chronic suppurative otitis media, 76.3%; appendicitis/peritonitis, 10.3%; osteomyelitis, 8.9%; skin or soft tissue infection, 6.3%; acute conjunctivitis, 3.0%; and urinary tract infection, 0.1%. A variety of O serogroups were identified: O1 (15.2%), O6 (14.7%), O11 (12.4%), O10 (11.5%), O3 (10.6%), O5 (5.1%), and O9 (4.6%). Other serogroups and nontypable strains were recovered at a frequency of 11.2% and 14.7%, respectively. Nontypable strains predominated in chronic otitis media (18.9%), while serogroups O1 (18.3%), O6 (17.5%), and O11 (17.5%) were recovered most frequently among the typable isolates. Susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to antipseudomonadal agents was extremely high. The rate of susceptibility to ceftazidime was 99.6%, to azlocillin 98.6%, to piperacillin 98.2%, to aztreonam 97.3%, to gentamicin and netilmicin 97.7%, and to ciprofloxacin 99.1%. All isolates were susceptible to tobramycin, imipenem, and amikacin. The results might suggest that community-acquired Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in children can be treated successfully with any antipseudomonadal antibiotic.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Department of P. and A. Kyriakou Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Paraskaki
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lebessi
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Legakis
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections; D003234:Conjunctivitis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D010035:Otitis Media, Suppurative / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D012621:Seasons; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012874:Skin Diseases, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents