Production of Betalactamase by Respiratory Tract Bacteria in Children: Relationship to Antibiotic Use

Abstract

Sales of antibiotics have increased in Sweden during the past decade. This has been paralleled by an increase in the frequency of βa-lactamase-producing respiratory tract bacteria. To investigate the effects of regional differences in use of antibiotics on β-lactamase production in respiratory tract bacteria, we collected nasopharyngeal specimens and information about antibiotic use from 1133 children attending day-care centres in four rural municipalities with low use, and one urban municipality with high use of antibiotics, use being assessed from pharmacy sales. The frequency of β-lactamase production among isolates of Branhamella catarrhalis and Moraxella nonliquefaciens was(doubt) significantly higher in the urban municipality. This appeared to be a long-term ecological effect of differences in the level of use of antibiotics between the urban and rural populations, rather than an effect of recent antibiotic treatment of individual patients.

Key Words:

• antibiotics/adverse effects/therapeutic use
• beta-lactamases
• Branhamella
• child
• preschool
• child day-care centres
• Haemophilus influenzae
• Moraxella
• respiratory system/microbiology
• respiratory tract infections/drug therapy