ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY OF NASOPHARYNGEAL ISOLATES OF POTENTIAL PATHOGENS RECOVERED FROM INFANTS BEFORE ANTIBIOTIC-THERAPY - IMPLICATIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF OTITIS-MEDIA

Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined for strains of Streptococc us pneumoniae, nontypable Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrh alis recovered from the nasopharynxes of children followed from birth. The bacteria tested were the first potential pathogens isolated from each child before any treatment with antibiotics. Minimal inhibitory c oncentrations of commonly used oral antibiotics demonstrated the follo wing overall rates of resistance for (1) S. pneumoniae: penicillin 1.2 % (intermediate susceptibility 4.8%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole 20 %; (2) nontypable H. influenzae: ampicillin 32%, cefaclor 17%; (3) M. catarrhalis: ampicillin 90%, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole 19%. Antibi otic regimens used for treatment of otitis media may have to be evalua ted in light of changing antibiotic susceptibilities.