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.
Lin
F Y
FY
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA. link@exchange.nih.gov
Azimi
P H
PH
Weisman
L E
LE
Philips
J B
JB
Regan
J
J
Clark
P
P
Rhoads
G G
GG
Clemens
J
J
Troendle
J
J
Pratt
E
E
Brenner
R A
RA
Gill
V
V
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