1Department of Microbiology, Smt. Kashibai Navale Medical College and General Hospital, Survey No. 49/1, 53/2, Off Mumbai-Pune Bypass, Narhe Ambegaon (Bk.), Pune 411041, Maharashtra (India)
2Smt. Kashibai Navale Medical College and General Hospital, Survey No. 49/1, 53/2, Off Mumbai-Pune Bypass, Narhe Ambegaon (Bk.), Pune 411041, Maharashtra (India)
*Email: vamuley@rediffmail.com
Online published on 29 December, 2011.
Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide especially among children less than 5 years of age.
To detect the prevalence of invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae in children aged less than 5 years and to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profile with special reference to penicillin resistance in a tertiary care hospital.
Clinical specimens like pus, blood, cerebrospinal fluid and other sterile body fluids obtained from infected children were processed for isolation and identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Kirby Bauer disc diffusion test was performed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profile. Minimum inhibitory concentration was determined for penicillin in those isolates showing resistance to this antibiotic on disc diffusion test.
Prevalence of invasive pneumococcal infection was found to be 33.4% in children aged less than 5 years. Penicillin resistance was encountered in 3.4% cases of invasive isolates. These isolates exhibited 25.4% & 10.1% resistance to co-trimoxazole and chloramphenicol respectively.
Invasive pneumococcal infections in children may have a poor prognosis and penicillin-resistant strains have become increasingly common. This study emphasises the importance of judicious use of antibiotics, especially to refrain their use in mild self-limiting upper respiratory infections.
Invasive pneumococcal infection, Penicillin resistance, Antibiotics, Children below 5 years of age
