A multicenter study of the antimicrobial susceptibility of Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Moraxella catarrhalis isolated from patients with community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections in 1999 in Portugal.
A nationwide multicenter study (including 25 laboratories) of the antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial pathogens commonly associated with community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), with testing undertaken in a central laboratory, was conducted in Portugal in 1999. Antimicrobial resistance in Haemophilus influenzae has not increased in the last decade. Of the 498 isolates tested, 12.4% produced beta-lactamase and >95% were susceptible to all antimicrobials except ampicillin. In contrast, there was a rapid increase of resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Of the 312 isolates tested, 24.7% exhibited decreased susceptibility to penicillin (13.5% showed low-level and 11.2% high-level resistance), 13.8% were resistant to erythromycin, clarithromycin and azithromycin, and 13.6% to cefuroxime and to tetracycline. Of the 38 Moraxella catarrhalis tested, 81.6% produced beta-lactamase. Resistance to penicillin, cefuroxime, erythromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin in S. pneumoniae and beta-lactamase production in H. influenzae were significantly higher in pediatric patients than in adults. Overall, amoxycillin/clavulanate was the most active antimicrobial agent in vitro against H. influenzae, S. pneumoniae, and M. catarrhalis isolated from patients with community-acquired LRTI in Portugal.
Melo-Cristino
J
J
Laboratório de Microbiologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Instituto Bacteriológico Câmara Pestana, Portugal. melocris@mail.telepac.pt
Fernandes
M L
ML
Serrano
N
N
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D001936:Moraxella catarrhalis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D011174:Portugal; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
D001618:beta-Lactamases