Antibiotic susceptibility profiles for group B streptococci isolated from neonates, 1995-1998.
Antibiotic susceptibility profiles were analyzed for 119 invasive and 227 colonizing strains of group B streptococci isolated from neonates at 6 US academic centers. All strains were susceptible to penicillin, vancomycin, chloramphenicol, and cefotaxime. The rate of resistance to erythromycin was 20.2% and to clindamycin was 6.9%. Resistance to erythromycin increased in 1997. Type V strains were more resistant to erythromycin than were type Ia (P=.003) and type Ib (P=.004) strains and were more resistant to clindamycin than were type Ia (P<.001), type Ib (P=.01), and type III (P=.001) strains. Resistance rates varied with geographic region: in California, there were high rates of resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin (32% and 12%, respectively), and low rates in Florida (8.5% and 2.1%, respectively). Penicillin continues to be the drug of choice for treatment of group B streptococcus infection. For women who are penicillin intolerant, however, the selection of an alternative antibiotic should be guided by contemporary resistance patterns observed in that region.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA. link@exchange.nih.gov
F Y
FY
Lin
P H
PH
Azimi
L E
LE
Weisman
J B
JB
Philips
J
J
Regan
P
P
Clark
G G
GG
Rhoads
J
J
Clemens
J
J
Troendle
E
E
Pratt
R A
RA
Brenner
V
V
Gill
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000145:classification; D002439:Cefotaxime / Q000494:pharmacology; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000494:pharmacology; D002981:Clindamycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D018805:Sepsis / Q000382:microbiology; D012703:Serotyping; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins; D002981:Clindamycin; D004917:Erythromycin; D002701:Chloramphenicol; D014640:Vancomycin; D015242:Ofloxacin; D013752:Tetracycline; D002439:Cefotaxime