Epidemiological studies on drug resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae in Hungary: An update for the 1990s

The aim of this study was to give an overview about the epidemiological fea tures of pneumococcal resistance in Hungary in the 1990s, and to assess the clinical relevance of drug resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae primaril y in upper respiratory tract infections and the role of risk factors in the acquisition of resistant strains, In Hungary, resistance in S, pneumoniae decreased slightly in recent years, but is still highly prevalent (around 4 0% to penicillin) compared to the prevalence in western and northern neighb oring countries, The prevalent serogroup among resistant strains is 19A, as it was several years ago, In 76 case histories studies, chronic underlying diseases associated with long hospitalization, episodes of earlier hospita lization, and antibiotic therapy were found more frequently if the patient was infected with a resistant strain than with a susceptible one, indicatin g that these factors promote the acquisition of drug-resistant S, pneumonia e. Resistant S, pneumoniae modified the course of infection by prolonging t he duration of hospitalization, making more courses of antibiotics necessar y, including parenteral drugs, as well as more invasive interventions such as myringotomy and sinus puncture. These data justify the clinical relevanc e of resistance, particularly in the upper respiratory tract infections.