EPIDEMIOLOGY OF COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED PSEUDOMONAS-AERUGINOSA INFECTIONS IN CHILDREN

The epidemiology of community-acquired Pseudomonas aeruginosa infectio ns in children during a one-year period (January through December 1993 ) was evaluated, A total of 6,859 clinical samples, each one represent ing a separate individual with suspected infection, were cultured. Pse udomonas aeruginosa was isolated from 218 children with various infect ions occurring in the following order of frequency: chronic suppurativ e otitis media, 76.3%; appendicitis/peritonitis, 10.3%; osteomyelitis, 8.9%; skin or soft tissue infection, 6.3%; acute conjunctivitis, 3.0% ; and urinary tract infection, 0.1%. A variety of O serogroups were id entified: O1 (15.2%), O6 (14.7%), O11 (12.4%), O10 (11.5%), O3 (10.6%) , O5 (5.1%), and O9 (4.6%), Other serogroups and nontypable strains we re recovered at a frequency of 11.2% and 14.7%, respectively, Nontypab le strains predominated in chronic otitis media (18.9%), while serogro ups O1 (18.3%), O6 (17.5%), and O11 (17.5%) were recovered most freque ntly among the typable isolates, Susceptibility of Pseudomonas aerugin osa to antipseudomonadal agents was extremely high. The rate of suscep tibility to ceftazidime was 99.6%, to azlocillin 98.6%, to piperacilli n 98.2%, to aztreonam 97.3%, to gentamicin and netilmicin 97.7%, and t o ciprofloxacin 99.1%, All isolates were susceptible to tobramycin, im ipenem, and amikacin. The results might suggest that community-acquire d Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in children can be treated success fully with any antipseudomonadal antibiotic.