Tw. Gress et al., INFECTION WITH STREPTOCOCCUS-PNEUMONIAE MODERATELY RESISTANT TO PENICILLIN DOES NOT ALTER CLINICAL OUTCOME, Infectious diseases in clinical practice, 5(7), 1996, pp. 435-439
Citations number
20
Categorie Soggetti
Infectious Diseases",Immunology,"Medicine, General & Internal
Increasingly, drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae is an identified
pathogen causing pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis. Our study evaluat
ed outcome variables of patients infected with strains of S. pneumonia
e moderately resistant to penicillin. We retrospectively analyzed the
data on 110 Huntington, West Virginia, community patients who had type
s 6, 9, 14, 19, and 23 pneumococcal infections between 1982 and 1994.
These strains are most likely to demonstrate resistance. Comparing pat
ients infected with sensitive vs. moderately resistant pneumococcal st
rains, we found no significant difference in days in the hospital (10.
9 vs. 11.1, P =.96), days of fever (2.4 vs. 2.8, P =.74), or mortality
(21% vs. 19%, P =.15). Antibiotic selection did not significantly aff
ect case fatality rates in the two groups-treated with penicillin or a
mpicillin alone, 16% vs. 11%, Odds Ratio = 1.50 +/- 1.73; P = .38; tre
ated with an antibiotic other than penicillin, 24% vs. 28%, Odds Ratio
= 0.77 +/- 0.69; P =.27). No significant differences occurred between
groups regarding type of infectious process (P =.94). We conclude tha
t infection with pneumococcal strains of moderate resistance to penici
llin does not affect clinical outcome.