Abstract

OCHOA WOODELL, Theresa Jean. Resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae to penicilin in nasopharyngeal children carriers, younger than two years old . Rev Med Hered [online]. 1998, vol.9, n.2, pp.56-62. ISSN 1018-130X.

Pneumococcus is an important etiologic agent of common diseases in all ages. In the recent decades pneumococcus strains resistant to penicillin began to appear worldwide. Locally the problem is not well known. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of penicillin resistant pneumococcus among nasopharyngeal carrier-children less than 2 years of age in the pediatric outpatient clinic (Crecimiento y Desarrollo) at the Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia in Lima. Material and methods: Nasopharyngeal cultures for S. pneumoniae were obtained from 170 children (September 1996-March 1997). The E-test was used to determinate penicillin resistance and disk diffusion for other antibiotics. Results: In a group of children aged 6 months to 2 years 44% (75/170) were nasopharyngeal carriers of pneumococcus. The presence of three or more children in the family was associated with a higher percentage of carriers. Among 75 strains isolated, 4 (5.3%) were resistant to penicillin: of these, 3 strains (4%) were intermediately resistant and 1 (1.3%) was highly resistant (MIC=1.5m g/mL). Resistance to other antibiotics was: trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole 39 strains (52%), cefaclor 18 (24%), chloramphenicol 17 (22.7%), erythromycin 14 (18.6%), clindamycin 9 (12%) and rifampin 8 (10.7%). Conclusion: The percentage of penicillin-resistant pneumococcus remains low at Cayetano Heredia Hospital. Nevertheless it is urgent to establish strategies to prevent and control the emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant microorganism. (Rev Med Hered 1998; 9: 56-62).

Keywords : Streptococcus pneumoniae; resistance; penicillin; nasopharyngeal carriers; children.

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