title: Bacteraemia in children in Iceland 1994-2005.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the aetiology of bacteraemia in children in Iceland, the antibiotic resistance and possible preventive measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  All positive bacterial blood cultures from children 0-18 years old isolated at Landspítali University Hospital Iceland from 1994 to 2005 were included in the study. Epidemiological and microbiological data were registered. The blood cultures were categorized according to likelihood of infection or contamination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period 1253 positive blood cultures were obtained from 974 children; 647 from boys and 606 from girls. Positive blood cultures were most common during the first year of life (594; 47.4%) with 252 of them from neonates. Coagulase negative staphylococci were most common (37%). Of probable or definite infections Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common (19.3%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (17.6%) and Neisseria meningitidis (13.5%). The most common pneumococcal serogroups were 23, 6, 7, 19 and 14. Commercially available vaccines contain up to 88% of all pneumococcal strains and 67% of all multi-resistant strains. N. meningitidis group C was not isolated after vaccinations were started in 2002.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study provides important epidemiological data on bacterial bloodstream infections in children in Iceland. The results demonstrate the excellent efficacy of meningococcal group C vaccination.
authors.affiliation: The Children's Hospital Iceland, Landspítali University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland.
authors.forename: Sigurður
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arnason
authors.forename: Valtýr Stefánsson
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Thors
authors.forename: Thórólfur
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guðnason
authors.forename: Karl G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Kristinsson
authors.forename: Asgeir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haraldsson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000517:prevention & control; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D012703:Serotyping; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification
chemical_list: D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines