PREVALENCE OF PENICILLIN-RESISTANT VIRIDANS STREPTOCOCCI IN HEALTHY-CHILDREN AND IN PATIENTS WITH MALIGNANT HEMATOLOGICAL DISORDERS

The prevalence of penicillin-resistant viridans streptococci was studi ed in healthy children and in paediatric and adult patients with leuka emia to determine whether the frequent presence of penicillin-resistan t streptococci in the oral cavity of children with leukaemia is the re sult of antibiotic therapy Twenty of the oral swabs from 50 healthy ch ildren who had not received antibiotics in the three months prior to s ampling yielded viridans streptococci that could be cultured on blood agar containing 2 mu g/ml benzylpenicillin. In 11 of the 20 cases the streptococci were resistant to penicillin (MIC greater than or equal t o 4 mu g/ml). This prevalence is significantly higher than that found in adult leukaemia patients (40 % vs. less than or equal to 5 %) but i s about the same as that found in paediatric patients with leukaemia. The high prevalence of penicillin-resistant streptococci in the paedia tric: age group should be considered,when selecting therapy and prophy laxis, especially when the risk of infection with one of these cocci i s enhanced.