[Resistance to penicillin G and Streptococcus pneumoniae infection at the Hôpital Foch, Paris, France, in 1995].
Decreased susceptibility to penicillin G of pneumococcal strains is continuously increasing in France.


OBJECTIVE
We assessed effect of resistance to penicillin on therapeutic management and mortality in adults with pneumococcal pneumonia in our hospital.


METHODS
This one-year retrospective study (1995) included patients with proven pneumococcal infection (positive blood culture, pleural fluid, or specimens from the lower respiratory tract). Strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae were screened for susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. Resistance to penicillin G was defined as a minimal inhibitory concentration > or = 0.12 microgram/ml. Age immune and nosocomial status, first and second line antibiotherapy and death were compared according to the strains susceptibility to penicillin G. A p value below 0.05 was statistically significant.


RESULTS
In 15 cases a pneumococcal strain susceptible to penicillin G was isolated while 23 patients were infected with a strain with a decreased susceptibility to penicillin G. Age was significantly higher in the latest group (61.6 versus 54.7 years) while no difference was noted between the 2 groups according to immune and nosocomial status, therapeutic management and death.


CONCLUSIONS
Resistance to penicillin did neither appear to increase mortality nor to influence therapeutic management in patients with pneumococcal infection.
Mouly
S
S
Service de Pneumologie, Centre Médico-Chirurgical Foch, Suresnes.
Couderc
L J
LJ
Cahen
P
P
Loirat
P
P
Blétry
O
O
Caubarrère
I
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D010400:Penicillin G / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins; D010400:Penicillin G
Résistance à la pénicilline G et infection à Streptococcus pneumoniae, en 1995 à l'Hôpital Foch, Paris, France.