title: High incidence of multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in South Korea.
abstract: Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from patients with bacteremia, meningitis, pneumonia, and otitis media and used to determine susceptibility to various antibiotics. Of 105 isolates, 51% to 83% were resistant to 6 antibiotics (i.e., the percentages of resistance to penicillin, ampicillin, cephalothin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and erythromycin were 78%, 67%, 51%, 56%, 83%, and 58%, respectively). Also, 66 of the 105 isolates were multidrug resistant. Seventy-eight percent of multidrug-resistant strains were highly resistant to tetracycline (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] > or = 50 micrograms/ml), and 39% of multidrug-resistant strains were also highly resistant to erythromycin (MIC > or = 128 micrograms/ml). However, only 4% of the 105 isolates were resistant to cefotaxime.
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology, College of Pharmacy, SungKyunKwan University, Suwon, Kyunggido, Korea.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Pyo
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Rhee
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003470:Culture Media; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003470:Culture Media