title: Susceptibility of common bacterial respiratory pathogens to antimicrobial agents in outpatients from South Backa District.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute infections of the upper respiratory tract are the most common reasons why patients visit general practitioners. Overuse of antibiotics in treatment of these conditions is extremely common practice although these infections are most frequently caused by viruses. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution and susceptibility of common pathogens to antimicrobial agents that cause infections of the upper respiratory tract in outpatients and to determine whether the results obtained from the examined sample were in accordance with the recommendations of the current National Guideline.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 945 strains isolated from the throat and nasal swabs from January 1st to March 31st, 2008, as well as from 330 strains isolated from January 1st to March 31st, 2013 in South Backa District, Serbia. Susceptibility tests were performed by the standard disc diffusion method and according to the criteria recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most commonly isolated strains were Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Branchamella catarrhalis, and Haemophilus influenzae. Susceptibility of Streptococcus pyogenes, Branchamella catarrhalis and Haemophilus influenzae to examined antibiotics did not substantially change over the two study periods. None of the isolates of Staphylococcus aures demonstrated resistance to methicillin in 2008, while the percentage of resistant strains was 5.93% in 2013. Susceptibility rates of Staphylococcus pneumoniae isolates to erythromycin and clindamycin were lower in 2013 than in 2008.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The investigation results follow the recommendations of the National Guideline for the usage of natural penicillin in the treatment of tonsillopharyngitis. Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid is recommended for the treatment of rhinosinusitis, and second generation cephalosporins are the second choice.
authors: Olga
authors: O
authors: Horvat
authors: Mira Mihajlović
authors: MM
authors: Ukropina
authors: Vesna
authors: V
authors: Mijatović
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: Sabo
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D001936:Moraxella catarrhalis / Q000187:drug effects; D010045:Outpatients; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*; D055771:Serbia; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents