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Epidemiology of community-acquiredPseudomonas aeruginosa infections in children

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Abstract

The epidemiology of community-acquiredPseudomonas aeruginosa infections in children during a one-year period (January through December 1993) was evaluated. A total of 6,859 clinical samples, each one representing a separate individual with suspected infection, were cultured.Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from 218 children with various infections occurring in the following order of frequency: chronic suppurative otitis media, 76.3%; appendicitis/peritonitis, 10.3%; osteomyelitis, 8.9%; skin or soft tissue infection, 6.3%; acute conjunctivitis, 3.0%; and urinary tract infection, 0.1%. A variety of O serogroups were identified: O1 (15.2%), 06 (14.7%), O11 (12.4%), O10 (11.5%), O3 (10.6%), O5 (5.1 %), and O9 (4.6%). Other serogroups and nontypable strains were recovered at a frequency of 11.2% and 14.7%, respectively. Nontypable strains predominated in chronic otitis media (18.9%), while serogroups O1 (18.3%), O6 (17.5%), and O11 (17.5%) were recovered most frequently among the typable isolates. Susceptibility ofPseudomonas aeruginosa to antipseudomonadal agents was extremely high. The rate of susceptibility to ceftazidime was 99.6%, to azlocillin 98.6%, to piperacillin 98.2%, to aztreonam 97.3%, to gentamicin and netilmicin 97.7%, and to ciprofloxacin 99.1%. All isolates were susceptible to tobramycin, imipenem, and amikacin. The results might suggest that community-acquiredPseudomonas aeruginosa infections in children can be treated successfully with any antipseudomonadal antibiotic.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microbiology Department of “P. and A. Kyriakou” Children's Hospital, University of Athens, M. Asias 75, 115 27, Goudi, Athens, Greece

    I. Paraskaki & E. Lebessi

  2. Department of Microbiology, Medical School, University of Athens, M. Asias 75, 115 27, Goudi, Athens, Greece

    N. J. Legakis

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  2. E. Lebessi
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  3. N. J. Legakis
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Paraskaki, I., Lebessi, E. & Legakis, N.J. Epidemiology of community-acquiredPseudomonas aeruginosa infections in children. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 15, 782–786 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01701519

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