Will reduction of antibiotic use reduce antibiotic resistance? The pneumococcus paradigm

Ron Dagan, Galia Barkai, Eugene Leibovitz, Eli Dreifuss, David Greenberg

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    30 Scopus citations

    Abstract

    Community-acquired respiratory infections in general, and those caused by S. pneumoniae in particular, are the main reason for prescribing antimicrobials in young children. Antibiotic drug abuse is common. This is the basis for the initiative for the reduction in antibiotic use. However, failure to consider that not all antibiotics are similar in their effect on promotion of resistance has led to continuous emerging resistance. In the present article, the trends in prescribing antibiotics in young children and their interrelation with antibiotic resistance among clinical respiratory isolates of S. pneumoniae in children will be reviewed, along with theoretical considerations and research evidence that led to concluding that among antibiotics, the least resistance-promoting drug for S. pneumoniae is amoxicillin (+/- clavulanate), whereas oral cephalosporins and azithromycin demonstrate a higher resistance-promotion potential in the individual population in the community. Although antibiotics differ in their resistant-promotion potential, all still do promote resistance.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)981-986
    Number of pages6
    JournalPediatric Infectious Disease Journal
    Volume25
    Issue number10
    DOIs
    StatePublished - 1 Jan 2006

    Keywords

    • Antibiotic resistance
    • Antibiotic treatment
    • S. pneumoniae

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
    • Microbiology (medical)
    • Infectious Diseases

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