S. Mouly et al., RESISTANCE TO PENICILLIN-G AND OUTCOME FROM PNEUMOCOCCAL INFECTION, IN FOCH-HOSPITAL, PARIS AREA, FRANCE, Annales de medecine interne, 149(6), 1998, pp. 323-325
Decreased suceptibility to penicillin G of pneumococcal strains is con
tinuously increasing-in France. Objective. - We assessed effect of res
istance to penicillin on therapeutic management and mortality in adult
s with pneumococcal pneumonia in our hospital. Methods. - This one-yea
r retrospective study (1995) included patients with proven pneumococca
l infection (positive bloodculture, pleural fluid, or specimens from t
he lower respiratory tract). Strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae were
screened for suceptibility to antimicrobial agents. Resistance to peni
cillin G was defined as a minimal inhibitory concentration greater tha
n or equal to 0.12 mu g/ml. Age immune and nosocomial status, first an
d second line antibiotherapy and death were compared according to the
strains suceptibility to penicillin G. A p value below 0.05 was statis
tically significant. Results. - In 15 cases a pneumococcal strain suce
ptible to penicillin G was isolated while 23 patients were infected Ki
th a strain with a decreased suceptibility to penicillin G. Age was si
gnificantly higher in the latest group (61.6 versus 54.7 years) while
no difference was noted between the 2 groups according to immune and n
osocomial status, therapeutic management and death. Discussion. - Resi
stance to penicillin did neither appear to increase mortality nor to i
nfluence therapeutic managment in patients with pneumococcal infection
.