Influence of increased macrolide consumption on macrolide resistance of common respiratory pathogens

The impact of increased macrolide consumption on the resistance of common r espiratory pathogens to erythromycin and azithromycin was evaluated. The st udy focused mainly on azithromycin. During the period from 1991 to 1996, a 3.5-fold increase in macrolide prescriptions for outpatients was observed i n Slovenia. Compared to 1994, when no macrolide resistance was evident in S treptococcus pyogenes and noninvasive Streptococcus pneumoniae, a significa nt increase in macrolide resistance was observed in these two pathogens in 1997. Moraxella catarrhalis remained uniformly susceptible to macrolides. C lose monitoring of macrolide resistance of common respiratory pathogens is thus necessary.