Antibiotic susceptibility patterns of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from Australian children.
OBJECTIVE
Staphylococcus aureus is an important cause of serious illness in children. Antibiotic resistance is an international problem and affects initial antibiotic choice. We aimed to describe susceptibility patterns of S. aureus isolates from Australian children to inform optimal empiric treatment of staphylococcal infections in this population.


METHODS
We analysed susceptibility data for all S. aureus isolates from children at Australian tertiary paediatric hospitals in 2006. Susceptibility rates were compared between hospitals and states, and with published studies of S. aureus isolates from Australian adults.


RESULTS
Overall, the proportion of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in Australian children was low (9.8%), and in each state it was less than for the comparable adult population. There were significant differences in susceptibility patterns between different states. Most MRSA isolates were susceptible to clindamycin (73%) and all isolates were reported as susceptible to vancomycin. Susceptibility patterns for isolates from bacteraemic patients were similar to those for isolates from all patients.


CONCLUSIONS
These data support current Australian recommendations for the use of flucloxacillin or a first-generation cephalosporin as initial treatment of non-life-threatening staphylococcal infections. However, broad spectrum antibiotic therapy including agents that are effective against MRSA should be considered for more serious infections. Appropriate specimens should be collected for susceptibility testing to enable directed treatment for MRSA and other resistant organisms. This study highlights the importance of using local, age-specific data in planning antibiotic treatment guidelines, as results vary substantially from city to city and between adults and children.
Wolf
Joshua
J
Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of General Medicine, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. joshua.wolf@rch.org.au
Daley
Andrew J
AJ
Tilse
Martyn H
MH
Nimmo
Graeme R
GR
Bell
Sydney
S
Howell
Alison J
AJ
Keil
Anthony D
AD
Lawrence
Andrew
A
Curtis
Nigel
N
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002981:Clindamycin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000187:drug effects*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002981:Clindamycin