LABORATORY SURVEY OF DRUG-RESISTANT STREPTOCOCCUS-PNEUMONIAE IN NEW-YORK-CITY, 1993-1995

Wide geographic variation in the prevalence of drug-resistant Streptoc occus pneumoniae demonstrates the importance of tracking antimicrobial resistance locally. This survey of hospital microbiology laboratories in New York City found that penicillin resistance (MIC greater than o r equal to 2.0 mu g/ml) increased from 1.5% of S. pneumoniae isolates in 1993 to 6.3% in 1995 and that in 1995, one-third of isolates nonsus ceptible to penicillin (MIG greater than or equal to 0.1 mu g/ml) were also nonsusceptible to an extended-spectrum cephalosporin (MIC greate r than or equal to 1 mu g/ml).