Increase in Serotype 19A and Amoxicillin Resistance in Children with Ear Infections in Spain
Author Information
Author(s): Fenoll Asunción, Aguilar Lorenzo, Vicioso Maria-Dolores, Gimenez Maria-Jose, Robledo Olga, Granizo Juan-Jose
Primary Institution: Spanish Reference Pneumococcal Laboratory, Inst. Salud Carlos III
Hypothesis
The study investigates the trends in serotype distribution and antibiotic susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae in pediatric middle ear fluid isolates in Spain from 1997 to 2009.
Conclusion
The prevalence of serotype 19A among pediatric middle ear isolates has increased significantly, along with rising rates of amoxicillin non-susceptibility.
Supporting Evidence
- A total of 2,077 isolates were analyzed, with significant trends found for serotype 19A and amoxicillin non-susceptibility.
- Amoxicillin non-susceptibility rates increased from 7.4% in 2003 to 38.0% in 2009 for serotype 19A.
- The prevalence of PCV7 serotypes decreased from 70.7% during 1997-2000 to 10.6% in 2009.
Takeaway
Doctors found that a type of bacteria causing ear infections in kids is becoming more common and is getting harder to treat with a common medicine called amoxicillin.
Methodology
The study analyzed pediatric middle ear fluid isolates received through a passive laboratory-based surveillance system from January 1997 to June 2009, using linear regression analysis to explore trends over time.
Potential Biases
The data may not represent all pneumococci causing otitis in children attending primary care centers.
Limitations
The study's limitations include lack of clinical information on the type of otitis, potential non-representativeness of isolates from hospitals, and absence of multilocus sequence typing.
Participant Demographics
Pediatric patients aged 14 years and younger.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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