[Resistance to antibiotics of bacteria involved in respiratory infections (author's transl)].
The present status of resistance to antibiotics of bacteria involved in respiratory infections is reviewed. Schematically it can outlined as follows. Streptococcus B-haemolyticus as well as Pneumococcus did not change their sensitivity to penicillin, but some strains are now resistant to tetracycline. Streptococcus viridans, Enterococcus and H. influenzae did not change substantially their sensitivity to antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus is the bacterial species that always poses some problems with regard to antibiotic resistance. Due to the selection of strains penicillinase-producing because of the large use of penicillin, the most part of clinical isolates of staphylococci is now resistant to penicillin. In addition an increased number of strains resistant to the other antibiotics has been registered as soon as they has been introduced in therapy. The resistant strains spread in a particularly rapid way in hospital. The introduction in therapy of penicillinase-resistant penicillins constituted a remarkable advance in therapy of staphylococcal infection. However, there is now a growing number of indications about the emergence of methicillin resistant strains of staphylococci. On the other hand it must be recalled that since 1960 a marked reduction of incidence and mortality in severe staphylococcal infections has been noted. Incidence and mortality of respiratory infections due to Gram-negative bacilli is augmented particularly in connection with a larger use of immunosuppressive and antineoplastic therapies, of particular surgical or reanimation procedures, of intensive courses of antibiotic therapy etc. Emergence of Pseudomonas, Proteus, Serratia, Providencia, etc. infections poses many difficult problems of chemotherapy since these species are scarcely sensitive to antibiotics. Carbenicillin, cephalosporins, sisomicin, tobramycin, amikacin are the more recent drugs that alone or in combination may offer some chances of success in this field.
[Resistance to antibiotics of bacteria involved in respiratory infections (author's transl)]. The present status of resistance to antibiotics of bacteria involved in respiratory infections is reviewed. Schematically it can outlined as follows. Streptococcus B-haemolyticus as well as Pneumococcus did not change their sensitivity to penicillin, but some strains are now resistant to tetracycline. Streptococcus viridans, Enterococcus and H. influenzae did not change substantially their sensitivity to antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus is the bacterial species that always poses some problems with regard to antibiotic resistance. Due to the selection of strains penicillinase-producing because of the large use of penicillin, the most part of clinical isolates of staphylococci is now resistant to penicillin. In addition an increased number of strains resistant to the other antibiotics has been registered as soon as they has been introduced in therapy. The resistant strains spread in a particularly rapid way in hospital. The introduction in therapy of penicillinase-resistant penicillins constituted a remarkable advance in therapy of staphylococcal infection. However, there is now a growing number of indications about the emergence of methicillin resistant strains of staphylococci. On the other hand it must be recalled that since 1960 a marked reduction of incidence and mortality in severe staphylococcal infections has been noted. Incidence and mortality of respiratory infections due to Gram-negative bacilli is augmented particularly in connection with a larger use of immunosuppressive and antineoplastic therapies, of particular surgical or reanimation procedures, of intensive courses of antibiotic therapy etc. Emergence of Pseudomonas, Proteus, Serratia, Providencia, etc. infections poses many difficult problems of chemotherapy since these species are scarcely sensitive to antibiotics. Carbenicillin, cephalosporins, sisomicin, tobramycin, amikacin are the more recent drugs that alone or in combination may offer some chances of success in this field.