RESUMO
Beta-Iactam resistance by Streptococcus pneumoniae is becoming a significant threat to the public health worldwide. However, data concerning antibiotic susceptibility patterns in Syria have not been published. Therefore, we isolated between September 2003 and May 2004, 25 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae recovered from the cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] of children with pneumococcal meningitis reported to the Children's hospital in Damascus.The susceptibility of the strains were tested against 10 antibiotics using disk diffusion method and against 6 antibiotics using broth macrodilution method and breakpoints from the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards [NCCLS] were used. 64% of the strains were resistant to penicillin whereas 0% resistant to ceftriaxone, cefotaxime and amoxicillin-clavulanate. Resistant to erythromycin and tetracycline was detected in 16%, and 48% of the strains were resistant to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, 0% resistant to vancomycin and imipenem and 4% resistant to ticarcillin. Multi-drug resistant S. pneumoniae was 24% and was much higher in penicillin-resistant strains than in penicillin-susceptible strains. We recommend performing susceptibility tests to all S. pneumoniae isolates to set a susceptibility pattern and choose the optimal antibacterial agent for treatment