RESISTANCE PATTERNS OF STREPTOCOCCUS-PNEUMONIAE AND HAEMOPHILUS-INFLUENZAE ISOLATES RECOVERED IN EGYPT FROM CHILDREN WITH PNEUMONIA

Treatment of childhood pneumonia in developing countries requires know ledge of susceptibility patterns for Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haem ophilus influenzae. Between October 1991 and April 1993, a surveillanc e survey of antimicrobial resistance was performed at two fever hospit als in Egypt; nasopharyngeal swab and blood specimens obtained from 1, 635 children with pneumonia were cultured for these organisms. Suscept ibility testing of these organisms was performed, At least one of thes e organisms was isolated from nasopharyngeal swab specimens from 73% o f the children; 3.7% of blood cultures were positive, For S. pneumonia e strains, 70.9% of nasopharyngeal isolates were calculated to be susc eptible to penicillin vs. 77.6% of blood isolates; the percentages of isolates susceptible to co-trimoxazole were 73.0% and 75.0%, respectiv ely. For H. influenzae strains, 93.0% of nasopharyngeal isolates were calculated to be susceptible to ampicillin vs, 100% of blood isolates; the percentages of isolates susceptible to co-trimoxazole were 84.9% and 100%, respectively, Although most S, pneumoniae and H. influenzae strains associated with childhood pneumonia in Cairo were susceptible to penicillins and co-trimoxazole, antimicrobial resistance did occur.