MULTIVARIATE-ANALYSIS OF RISK-FACTORS FOR INFECTION DUE TO PENICILLIN-RESISTANT AND MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT STREPTOCOCCUS-PNEUMONIAE - A MULTICENTER STUDY

Pneumococcal disease was studied prospectively to determine the risk f actors associated with resistance to penicillin and other antibiotics. One hundred twelve clinically significant pneumococcal isolates were recovered from 95 patients. Approximately one-half (49.47%) of the cas es were due to penicillin-resistant strains. Multivariate analysis sho wed that previous use of beta-lactam antibiotics (odds ratio [OR], 2.8 1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.95-8.27), alcoholism (OR, 5.22; 95% CI, 1.43-19.01), and noninvasive disease (OR, 4.53; 95% CI, 1.54-13.3 4) were associated with penicillin resistance, whereas intravenous dru g use (OR, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.03-0.74) was not. Statistical analyses of t he variables associated with resistance to multiple antibiotics detect ed age of younger than 5 years (OR, 16.79; 95% CI, 1.60-176.34) or of 65 years or older (OR, 4.33; 95% CI, 1.42-13.21) and previous use of b eta-lactam antibiotics by patients with noninvasive disease (OR, 7.92; 95% CI, 1.84-34.06) as parameters associated with increased risk. We conclude that multivariate analysis provides clues for empirical thera py for pneumococcal infection.