Resistance of haemophilus influenzae isolates from pediatric patients

ABSTRACT

This study compared the in vitro activity of various antibiotics [ampicillin, amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, cefaclor, cefuiroxime, ceftriaxone, cefixime, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole] against 658 strains of Haemophilus influenzae isolated from pediatric patients attending a large general hospital in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia between May 1992 and April 1994. Patients were admitted with the diagnoses of septicaemia, pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis, otitis or conjunctivitis. The activity of the antibiotics tested was evaluated by disc diffusion using Haemophilus test medium and National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Beta-lactamase production was detected using cefinase discs. Ampicillin resistance was found in 18.5% of isolates, mainly [17.1%] of the beta-lactamaseproducing type. The ampicillin-resistant, beta-Iactamase-nonproducing strains were relatively resistant to all other beta-lactam antibiotics tested. Ciprofloxacin showed 99% susceptibility, trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole 50% and erythromycin showed 37% susceptibility mostly in the intermediate category