Prevalence and antimicrobial-resistance of S. pneumoniae and S. pyogenes in healthy children in the region of Madrid.
Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes are common agents of respiratory or ORL pathology. Pneumococcus sensitivity has progressively decreased to penicillin and other antimicrobial agents, mainly in south of Europe, but this resistance report can be erroneous by a selection bias, because they sampled only hospital cases.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility and risk factors of S. pneumoniae and S. pyogenes in healthy children under 5 years of age who go to infant school.


METHODS
Cross sectional study in six infant schools. An epidemiological inquiry (risk factors of carrier state) was filled out and a nasopharyngeal specimen was taken from each child, S. pneumoniae and S. pyogenes were identified and antimicrobial tests were performed.


RESULTS
We have studied 156 children with a mean age of 2.24 (standard deviation (S.D.), 0.85) and 58% have been treated with antibiotic in the last 3 months. The prevalence of S. pneumoniae or S. pyogenes were 12.2 and 5.1%, respectively. S. pyogenes only was isolated in two schools. Age was associated with S. pyogenes carrier but the rest of studied factors have no statistical significance with both microorganisms. All the S. pneumoniae showed resistance to one or more antibiotic (mainly to clavunate-amoxycillin: 94.7%), while S. pyogenes only was resistant to clavunate-amoxycillin.


CONCLUSIONS
Healthy children (0-4 years) with antibiotherapy in last 3 months have a great frequency of resistant S. pneumoniae. It is necessary to reduce the antibiotic use at home (Medical education).
Herruzo
R
R
Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, C/Arzobispo Morcillo number 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain. rherruzo@uam.es
Chamorro
L
L
García
M E
ME
González
M C
MC
López
A M
AM
Manceñido
N
N
Yébenes
L
L
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012016:Reference Values; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents