title: Antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates in Athens, Greece.
abstract: In order to determine the current antibiotic susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains in Greece, the present study was performed on 282 clinical isolates collected from patients at the Sotiria Chest Hospital of Athens, Greece, during the years 1997-2003. Susceptibility testing revealed that 52 (18.4%) isolates were not susceptible to penicillin, with 13.1% demonstrating intermediate and 5.3% high-level resistance. One of the penicillin-non-susceptible isolates was also resistant to cefotaxime. Comparison with results of a previous study conducted at the same hospital during the period 1992-1993 showed that penicillin resistance had increased by 4.5%. The results of this study indicate the antimicrobial susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae continues to change in Greece and continuous surveillance remains important for guiding empirical antibiotic therapy.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Laboratory, Sotiria Chest Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanavaki
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mantadakis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karabela
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anatoliotaki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Makarona
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moraitou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pefanis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Samonis
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins