Resistance pattern of Streptococcus pneumoniae in children during a four-year period in Greece.

The resistance pattern of 432 Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated from children with various infections over a 4-year period (1992-1995) was determined. The rates of resistance to penicillin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, erythromycin, clindamycin, cefotaxime, and vancomycin were 10%, 2.8%, 4.6%, 4.9%, 4.4%, 2.5%, 0.9%, and 0%, respectively. All strains not susceptible to penicillin were intermediately susceptible to penicillin-(MIC >0.06-< or = 1 microg/ml). Isolates not susceptible to penicillin were encountered significantly more often in children with localized infections than in those with invasive disease; these isolates displayed significantly lower susceptibility to non-beta-lactam agents as compared with their penicillin-susceptible counterparts.