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Bacteriological evidence of antibiotic failure in pneumococcal lower respiratory tract infections

Klugman KP

The European respiratory journal. Supplement, 2002

Abstract

The global pandemic of antimicrobial resistance, particularly in the pneumococcus, has had a major impact on the management of community-acquired pneumonia. A number of prospective and retrospective studies have analysed the impact of penicillin resistance on clinical outcome in pneumonia. Pharmacodynamic principles predicting success when the antibiotic dose exceeds the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for 40-50% of the dosing interval have proved remarkably accurate. There is no evidence of bacteriological failure of penicillins active against resistant strains. There is a single report of the failure of the less active agent, ticarcillin. High dose oral and intravenous amoxicillin should treat strains with MICs or = 8 microg x mL(-1) are rare at the present time. Most other cephalosporins are less active and should not be used empirically for drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. Bacteriological failures of cefazolin, cefuroxime and ceftazidime have been reported. There is increasing evidence of bacteriologically confirmed macrolide failure of pneumonia therapy at MICs > or = 4 microg x mL(-1). The molecular basis of the resistance is irrelevant if the MIC is in that range or higher. Double mutants in the parC and gyrA genes lead to fluoroquinolone resistance that has been found to cause bacteriological failure of the fluoroquinolones, particularly levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin, in the management of pneumonia and exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. Two…

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