A surveillance study on penicillin-resistant streptococcus pneumoniae in China.

OBJECTIVES

To find out whether there are also penicillin-resistant streptococcus pneumoniae and the resistant rate in China.

METHODS

A surveillance study which is a part of the international surveillance on pneumococci resistance to penicillin and other antimicrobial agents was conducted in Beijing, China. More than 900 pediatric patients with respiratory tract infections aged from six months to three years selected from two pediatric units were enrolled in the study. Perthroat swabs were immediately streaked onto blood agar plates. Isolates were identified as pneumococci by their typical appearance, gram stain, confirmation tests. Antibiotic susceptibility was assessed by the disk diffusion method and minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) determination according to Protocol and National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS).

RESULTS

Of the 51 streptococcus pneumoniae isolates, 5 strains had zones of inhibition indicative of penicillin resistance, of which two had penicillin MICs > or = 0.1 mg/L and were considered to be relatively or fully resistant to penicillin. The MICs of two penicillin resistant strains were 2 mg/L and 4 mg/L. Resistant rates to ceftriaxone and cefotaxime were 0% and 10% respectively. For the other ten antimicrobial agents, the resistant rates were as follows: ampicillin 12%, piperacillin 26%, furbenicillin 14%, cefuroxime 6%, erythromycin 54%, clarithromycin 52%, meleumycin 64%, roxithromycin 52%, chloramphenicol 35%, tetracycline 100%.

CONCLUSIONS

The study suggested that penicillin resistant streptococcus pneumoniae strains existed in China and were also resistant to ampicillin, piperacillin, furbenicillin and cefuroxime. Moreover, the resistant rates of penicillin resistant streptococcus pneumoniae to macrolides and tetracycline were high.