High Prevalence of Penicillin-Nonsusceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae at a Community Hospital in Oklahoma
Author Information
Author(s): Ronald L. Moolenaar, Ronda Pasley-Shaw, John R. Harkess, Anthony Lee, James M. Crutcher
Primary Institution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Hypothesis
To determine whether the reported prevalence of penicillin-nonsusceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae was accurate and to explain it.
Conclusion
The study found that a high prevalence of penicillin-nonsusceptible S. pneumoniae was confirmed at Hospital A, with significant interlaboratory differences in susceptibility testing.
Supporting Evidence
- 31 out of 48 S. pneumoniae isolates were penicillin-nonsusceptible.
- 23 out of 48 isolates were highly penicillin resistant.
- Interlaboratory discrepancies were noted in susceptibility testing.
- 85 out of 282 invasive isolates reported in 1998 were penicillin-nonsusceptible.
Takeaway
Doctors found that many germs causing pneumonia in a hospital were not responding to penicillin, which is a common medicine used to treat infections.
Methodology
The study involved a prospective laboratory survey and a retrospective cohort study of patients with invasive S. pneumoniae infections.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the small sample size and reliance on hospital records for vaccination status.
Limitations
The small number of invasive isolates and the inability to identify specific risk factors for acquiring PNSP.
Participant Demographics
The median age of participants was 60 years, with 54% male and 87% white.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI = 0.9 - 2.5
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
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