Decline in Pneumococcal Disease Attenuated in Older Adults and Those With Comorbidities Following Universal Childhood PCV13 Immunization.

BACKGROUND: Following introduction of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) in the United States, epidemiology of pneumococcal disease shifted such that disease incidence in the elderly exceeded that in children. We evaluated the impact of replacing PCV7 with PCV13 on disease burden in adults and identified age/risk-specific subgroups with the highest remaining disease burden. METHODS: A retrospective design and data from two US healthcare claims repositories were used. Study population included adults aged ≥18 years and was stratified by age (18-49, 50-64, 65-74, ≥75) and risk profile (healthy, at-risk, high-risk). Rate ratios comparing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), all-cause hospitalized pneumonia (ACHP), and pneumococcal pneumonia requiring hospitalization among at-risk and high-risk adults vs healthy counterparts were estimated for 2007-2010 (pre-PCV13), 2011-2012 (peri-PCV13), and 2013-2015 (post-PCV13). RESULTS: Across study periods, IPD and ACHP rates increased with age (2-27 times higher in persons ≥75 vs 18-49) and comorbidity (4-20 times higher in high-risk vs healthy). From pre- to post-PCV13 period, IPD rates declined 5%-48% and ACHP rates declined 4%-19% across age and risk groups (ACHP did not decline in persons ≥75). Decline in IPD and ACHP was attenuated among older adults and those with comorbidities. Accordingly, rate ratios among at-risk and high-risk persons (vs healthy counterparts) increased during the peri- and post-PCV13 periods compared with the pre-PCV13 period. CONCLUSIONS: The switch to PCV13 was associated with large declines in pneumococcal disease among US adults. However, the decline was attenuated with increasing age (and, for ACHP, was absent in persons ≥75) and in those with comorbidities.

Relating Pneumococcal Carriage Among Children to Disease Rates Among Adults Before and After the Introduction of Conjugate Vaccines.

The use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) in children has a strong indirect effect on disease rates in adults. When children are vaccinated with PCVs, other serotypes that are not targeted by the vaccine can increase in frequency (serotype replacement) and reduce the direct and indirect benefits of the vaccine. To understand and predict the likely impacts of serotype replacement, it is important to know how patterns in the transmission of serotypes among children relate to disease rates in adults. We used data on pneumococcal carriage and disease from Navajo Nation children and adults collected before and after the routine use of PCVs (1998-2012). Using regression models within a Bayesian framework, we found that serotype-specific carriage and invasiveness (disease incidence divided by carriage prevalence) had similar patterns in children and adults. Moreover, carriage in children, invasiveness in children, and a serotype-specific random intercept (which captured additional variation associated with the serotypes) could predict the incidence serotype-specific pneumococcal disease in adults 18-39 years of age and those 40 years of age or older in the era of routine use of PCVs. These models could help us predict the effects of future pneumococcal vaccine use in children on disease rates in adults, and the modeling approach developed here could be used to test these findings in other settings.

Serotype 10A in case patients with invasive pneumococcal disease: a pilot study of PCR-based serotyping in New Jersey.

In 2008, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) identified a 21.1% increase in reported invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). In 2009, NJDOH piloted nucleic acid-based serotyping to characterize serotypes causing IPD. From April through September, NJDOH received specimens from 149 of 302 (49%) case patients meeting our case definition. An uncommon serotype, 10A, accounted for 25.2% of IPD overall and was identified in 12 counties, but it was associated with one county (rate ratio = 5.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1, 11.8). NJDOH subsequently conducted a case-control study to assess the presentation of and clinical risk factors for 10A IPD. Case patients with 10A IPD were more likely to have had immunosuppression, asthma, and multiple chronic medical conditions than control subjects had (odds ratio [OR] = 2.6, 95% CI 1.1, 6.3; OR=4.7, 95% CI 1.7, 13.2; and OR=2.3, 95% CI 1.0, 5.2, respectively). State-based pneumococcal serotype testing identified an uncommon serotype in New Jersey. Continued pneumococcal serotype surveillance might help the NJDOH identify and respond to future serotype-specific increases.

Emergence of hypervirulent mutants resistant to early clearance during systemic serotype 1 pneumococcal infection in mice and humans.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 1 has a high likelihood of causing invasive disease. Serotype 1 isolates belonging to CC228 are associated with low mortality, while CC217 isolates exhibit high mortality in patients. METHODS: Clinical pneumococcal isolates and mutants were evaluated in wild-type C57BL/6 mice, macrophage-depleted mice, neutrophil-depleted mice, and SIGN-R1 knockout mice. In vitro models included binding and phagocytosis by THP-1 cells, capsule measurements, hydrogen peroxide production, and viability assays. RESULTS: During early systemic infection in mice with serotype 1, large-colony variants appeared in blood. Similar large colonies were found in blood specimens from patients with invasive disease. Large morphotypes contained higher numbers of viable bacteria, grew faster, produced no or little hydrogen peroxide, and contained mutations in the spxB gene. spxB mutants were considerably more virulent in wild-type mice, less susceptible to early host clearance than wild-type strains after intravenous infection, but impaired in colonization. spxB mutants were less efficiently phagocytosed by macrophages than wild-type bacteria, which, in contrast to spxB mutants, caused more-severe disease when macrophages or SIGN-R1 were depleted. CONCLUSIONS: Hypervirulent spxB mutants are selected in both mice and patients and are resistant to early macrophage-mediated clearance.

Systematic evaluation of serotypes causing invasive pneumococcal disease among children under five: the pneumococcal global serotype project.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 800,000 children die each year due to pneumococcal disease and >90% of these deaths occur in developing countries where few children have access to life-saving serotype-based vaccines. Understanding the serotype epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) among children is necessary for vaccine development and introduction policies. The aim of this study was to systematically estimate the global and regional distributions of serotypes causing IPD in children <5 years of age. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We systematically reviewed studies with IPD serotype data among children <5 years of age from the published literature and unpublished data provided by researchers. Studies conducted prior to pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) introduction, from 1980 to 2007, with ≥12 months of surveillance, and reporting ≥20 serotyped isolates were included. Serotype-specific proportions were pooled in a random effects meta-analysis and combined with PD incidence and mortality estimates to infer global and regional serotype-specific PD burden. Of 1,292, studies reviewed, 169 were included comprising 60,090 isolates from 70 countries. Globally and regionally, six to 11 serotypes accounted for ≥70% of IPD. Seven serotypes (1, 5, 6A, 6B, 14, 19F, 23F) were the most common globally; and based on year 2000 incidence and mortality estimates these seven serotypes accounted for >300,000 deaths in Africa and 200,000 deaths in Asia. Serotypes included in both the 10- and 13-valent PCVs accounted for 10 million cases and 600,000 deaths worldwide. CONCLUSIONS: A limited number of serotypes cause most IPD worldwide. The serotypes included in existing PCV formulations account for 49%-88% of deaths in Africa and Asia where PD morbidity and mortality are the highest, but few children have access to these life-saving vaccines. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.

[Invasive pneumococcal disease and consolidated pneumonia in infants: one year of surveillance in three Chilean health care centers]. / Infección neumocóccica invasora y neumonía consolidante en lactantes: Un año de vigilancia en tres centros hospitalarios chilenos.

OBJECTIVE: To describe frequency and type of invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) and consolidated pneumonia (CP) in Chilean infants. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One-year prospective surveillance in three health care centers. PID surveillance: blood culture in infants with suspected invasive bacterial disease or with fever higher than 39 degrees C axillary without focus or with acute otitis media. CP surveillance: blood culture and independent evaluation of chest X-ray in infants with suspected pneumonia. RESULTS: IPD: in 4,369 infants studied, 58 cases of invasive bacterial diseases were identified, 37 (64%) due to S. pneumoniae. Rates of IPD: 110/100,000 (Chilian) and 288/100,000 (Valparaiso). Serotypes identified: 18C(n: 8), 14 (n: 8), 19A(n: 5), others (n: 12). CP: in 3,005 infants 762 CP were detected. Rates of CP: 2,918/100,000 (Chilian) and 5,547/100,000 (Valparaiso). DISCUSSION: Results support the relevance of S. pneumoniae as the main cause of invasive bacterial disease and the high frequency of CP in this age group in Chile.

Infección neumocóccica invasora y neumonía consolidante en lactantes: Un año de vigilancia en tres centros hospitalarios chilenos / Invasive pneumococcal disease and consolidated pneumonia in infants: One year of surveillance in three Chilean health care centers

Objetivo: Describir la frecuencia y tipo de enfermedad neumocóccica invasora (ENI) y neumonía consolidante (NC) en lactantes chilenos. Pacientes y Métodos: Vigilancia prospectiva durante un año en tres centros. Vigilancia de ENI: hemocultivo en lactantes con sospecha clínica de enfermedad bacteriana invasora (EBI) o fiebre > 39 °C axilar, sin foco o con otitis media aguda. Vigilancia de NC: hemocultivo y evaluación independiente de la radiografía en lactantes con sospecha clínica de neumonía. Resultados: ENI: en 4.369 lactantes enrolados se detectaron 58 casos de EBI, 37 (64 por ciento) por Streptococcus pneumoniae. Tasas de ENI: 110/100.000 (Chillan) y 288/100.000 (Valparaíso). Serotipos de S. pneumoniae identificados: 18C (n: 8), 14 (n: 8), 19A (n: 5), otros (n: 12). NC: en 3.005 niños enrolados se detectaron 762 NC. Tasas de NC: 2.918/ 100.000 (Chillan) y 5.547/100.000 (Valparaíso). Discusión: Se confirma la relevancia de S. pneumoniae como agente de EBI así como la elevada frecuencia de NC en lactantes en Chile.

Objective: To describe frequency and type of invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) and consolidated pneumonia (CP) in Chilean infants. Patients and Methods: One-year prospective surveillance in three health care centers. PID surveillance: blood culture in infants with suspected invasive bacterial disease or with fever higher than 39°C axillary without focus or with acute otitis media. CP surveillance: blood culture and independent evaluation of chest X-ray in infants with suspected pneumonia. Results: IPD: in 4,369 infants studied, 58 cases of invasive bacterial diseases were identified, 37 (64 percent) due to S. pneumoniae. Rates of IPD: 110/100,000 (Chilian) and 288/100,000 (Valparaiso). Serotypes identified: 18C(n: 8), 14 (n: 8), 19A(n: 5), others (n: 12). CP: in 3,005 infants 762 CP were detected. Rates of CP: 2,918/100,000 (Chilian) and 5,547/100,000 (Valparaiso). Discussion: Results support the relevance of S. pneumoniae as the main cause of invasive bacterial disease and the high frequency of CP in this age group in Chile.

Epidemiology and clinical features of pneumonia according to radiographic findings in Gambian children.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of vaccines against pneumonia in Gambian children. METHODS: Data from a randomized, controlled trial of a 9-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) were used. Radiographic findings, interpreted using WHO definitions, were classified as primary end point pneumonia, 'other infiltrates/abnormalities' pneumonia and pneumonia with no abnormality. We calculated the incidence of the different types of radiological pneumonia, and compared clinical and laboratory features between these groups. RESULTS: Among children who did not receive PCV, the incidence of pneumonia with no radiographic abnormality was about twice that of 'other infiltrates' pneumonia and three times that of primary endpoint pneumonia. Most respiratory symptoms, reduced feeding and vomiting occurred most frequently in children with primary endpoint pneumonia. These children were more likely to be malnourished, to have bronchial breath sounds or invasive bacterial diseases, and to die within 28 days of consultation than children in the other groups. Conversely, a history of convulsion, diarrhoea or fast breathing, malaria parasitaemia and isolation of salmonellae were commoner in children with pneumonia with no radiographic abnormality. Lower chest wall indrawing and rhonchi on auscultation were seen most frequently in children with 'other infiltrates/abnormalities' pneumonia. CONCLUSION: Primary endpoint pneumonia is strongly associated with bacterial aetiology and severe pneumonia. Since this category of pneumonia is significantly reduced after vaccination with Hib and pneumococcal vaccines, the risk-benefit of antimicrobial prescription for clinical pneumonia for children with increased respiratory rate may warrant re-examination once these vaccines are in widespread use.

Effect of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on nasopharyngeal colonization among immunized and unimmunized children in a community-randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) prevent vaccine serotype (VT) invasive disease; nonvaccine serotype (NVT) disease increases modestly. The impact of PCV on nasopharyngeal (NP) colonization is essential to understanding disease effects. METHODS: We conducted a community-randomized controlled trial with catch-up vaccination through age 2 years investigating the effect of 7-valent PCV (PnCRM7) on NP colonization among American Indian infants and their unvaccinated contacts. Infants receiving blinded vaccine at 2, 4, 6, and 12-15 months of age had NP cultures obtained at age 7, 12, and 18 months. Serotype-specific colonization was detected by immunoblot. RESULTS: We enrolled 566 vaccinated and 286 unvaccinated children from 511 households and collected 5157 specimens, of which 3525 (68.4%) had pneumococcus. PnCRM7 vaccinees were less likely to be colonized with VT (odds ratio [OR], 0.40 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.23-0.67]) but were more likely to be colonized with NVT pneumococci (OR, 1.67 [95% CI, 1.02-2.78]). PnCRM7 vaccinees were less densely colonized with VT strains than control vaccinees (OR, 0.61 [95% CI, 0.38-0.99]). Day care-attending unvaccinated children in PnCRM7 communities were less likely to have VT colonization than those in control communities (OR, 0.27 [95% CI, 0.07-1.07]). CONCLUSIONS: PnCRM7 reduces the risk of VT acquisition and colonization density but increases the risk of NVT acquisition among vaccinees and their household contacts.

Strain characteristics of Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage and invasive disease isolates during a cluster-randomized clinical trial of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

Widespread use of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) has led to significant reductions in disease while changing pneumococcal population dynamics via herd immunity and serotype replacement. We performed multilocus sequence typing (MLST) on 590 pneumococcal isolates obtained during the American Indian clinical trial of PCV7, in which communities were randomized for eligible children to receive either PCV7 or a meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV). Sequence types (STs) were analyzed to determine the impact of the vaccine on pneumococcal population structure and to assess the possible impact of pneumococcal genetic background on vaccine effects. One hundred forty-three STs were obtained, the most frequent being ST199, the only one that included vaccine serotypes (VTs), non-vaccine-associated nonvaccine serotypes (NVA/NVTs), and vaccine-associated serotypes (VATs). Serotype replacement observed in the PCV communities was due to a diverse population of STs, most of which also existed in the MCV communities. Possible capsular switching to create novel ST associations with NVA/NVTs was detected only once. Reductions in VTs and changes in VATs in PCV communities did not show evidence of variation by ST, after accounting for lower vaccine effectiveness against serotype 19F. These observations suggest the hypothesis that the vaccine acts as a "serotype filter": its effect on a particular strain can be predicted on the basis of the serotype of the strain, with little effect of genetic background (as assessed by MLST) over and above capsule. If sustained, such patterns provide some cause for optimism that rapid evolution of PCV escape strains with drug resistance or high virulence is unlikely.

Reduction in pediatric invasive pneumococcal disease in the Basque Country and Navarre, Spain, after introduction of the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

This study evaluated the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease, identified the causal serotypes, and tracked the evolution of the antibiotic susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates in the regions of the Basque Country and Navarre, Spain, before and after the introduction of the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. The study included all children aged between birth and 5 years diagnosed with bacteremia, meningitis, or bacteremic pneumonia caused by pneumococci. By the second year after introduction of the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, compared with the period 1998-2001, the incidence of invasive disease decreased by 64.3% in children less than 12 months of age, by 39.7% in children less than 24 months of age, and by 37.5% in children less than 60 months of age. The prevalence of clinical isolates of S. pneumoniae that lacked susceptibility to penicillin decreased by 58.2% among children less than 60 months of age. With an estimated coverage by four-dose heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine of 28-45% in 2003, the number of invasive pneumococcal infections in the Basque Country and in Navarre fell significantly after just 2 years of immunization, underscoring the importance of improving vaccination coverage under a universal childhood immunization program.

The important role of nontypable Streptococcus pneumoniae international clones in acute conjunctivitis.

BACKGROUND: In a recent epidemiological study in southern Israel, nontypable Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates were found to be highly associated with sporadic cases of acute conjunctivitis (AC). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relative importance in causing AC of the absence of capsule versus genotype properties. METHODS: DNA typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed on 148 nontypable organisms isolated from 3 sites: nasopharynx of healthy children, middle-ear fluid, and conjunctiva. RESULTS: Analysis of the PFGE patterns revealed the presence of 6 clusters; 2 clusters that included 44% of the isolates (65/148) were associated with AC, and the remaining 4 were frequently isolated from the nasopharynx. Multilocus sequence typing, performed on representative isolates of the 2 major clusters, confirmed that the organisms were pneumococci; one is a single-locus variant of sequence type (ST) 448, and the other is related to ST344. Both types appear to be members of pneumococcal lineages that have lost capsular loci. The nontypable isolates showed high rates of resistance to antimicrobial agents. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the absence of the capsule--along with other, yet-unidentified genetic characteristics--provide S. pneumoniae with a selective virulence advantage in conjunctivitis.

Efficacy and tolerability of moxifloxacin in the treatment of acute bacterial sinusitis caused by penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae: a pooled analysis.

BACKGROUND: Penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) has become a relatively common pathogen in upper and lower respiratory tract infections, including acute bacterial sinusitis (ABS). OBJECTIVE: The goal of this analysis was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of moxifloxacin in the treatment of ABS caused by penicillin-sensitive S pneumoniae (PSSP) and PRSP METHODS: Two prospective, multicenter, open-label, noncomparative US trials of moxifloxacin were included in this pooled analysis. All patients received oral moxifloxacin 400 mg once daily for 7 to 10 days. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of moxifloxacin and penicillin were determined using the E-test and standard broth-microdilution methods. The primary end point was clinical success at the test-of-cure visit (21-37 days after completion of therapy) in patients with a positive pretherapy sinus culture. Data are presented for patients with ABS caused by both PSSP and PRSP RESULTS: Of 806 patients enrolled in the 2 studies, 146 had microbiologically confirmed bacterial infection. Sixty-nine patients had ABS caused by S pneumoniae, including 15 confirmed cases of PRSP infection. The majority of the 69 clinically evaluable patients were white (n = 63) and female (n = 46), and the mean age of this population was 43 years. Investigators categorized the episode of ABS as severe in 26 (37.7%) of clinically evaluable patients and of moderate severity in the remainder (62.3% [43]); however, most patients (78.3% [54/69]) reported >/=1 severe symptom. The episode of ABS was classified as severe in 8 (53.3%) of the 15 patients with PRSP infection. Clinical and bacteriologic success at the test-of-cure visit was achieved in 93.3% (14/15) of patients with PRSP infection, compared with 88.4% (61/69) of all patients infected with S pneumoniae regardless of penicillin susceptibility. Moxifloxacin MICs against the 15 PRSP strains ranged from 0.06 to 0.25 microg/mL. Data from 805 patients were available for tolerability analysis. The most commonly occurring adverse events were nausea, headache, and diarrhea. Generally, adverse events were mild to moderate. None of the 6 serious adverse events reported were considered related to moxifloxacin therapy. CONCLUSION: In this small cohort of patients, moxifloxacin provided clinical and bacteriologic cures in the majority of patients with ABS caused by PRSP, including those with severe sinusitis.

Epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal infection in Taiwan: antibiotic resistance, serogroup distribution, and ribotypes analyses.

From July, 1998, to June, 1999, pneumococcal isolates from 288 patients with invasive disease in Taiwan were serogrouped and tested for their susceptibility to various antibiotics. Automated ribotyping was used to study their molecular epidemiology. The mortality rate among those > or = 65 years was higher than those 18 or 19-64 years (p < 0.001). The total incidence of infection was significantly higher during the cooler season than the warmer season (p = 0.017). Among strains isolated from children aged < or = 18 years, 76% were not susceptible to penicillin, a rate that was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that for adults (45%), as was the susceptibility to azithromycin, erythromycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (p < 0.005). The most prevalent serogroup encountered in the invasive isolates was 23, followed by 6, 14, 19, and 3. Isolation of Streptococcus pneumoniae in cerebrospinal fluid was at high rate in children under 5 years (p = 0.00012). Molecular typing revealed a high degree of polymorphism among the isolates. Among serogroup 23 and 19 isolates, a high proportion had the same ribotypes, the Taiwan23F-15 and Taiwan19F-14 isolates, suggesting the circulation of a Taiwanese epidemic strain. In Taiwan, S. pneumoniae isolates should be tested for their resistance profile for children < or = 18 years old, as these are more likely to harbor high-level resistance. Control of pneumococcal infection with the 7-valent-conjugated vaccine should also be considered because it is estimated that it would cover nearly 90% of the serotypes among pediatric invasive disease.

Late steroid therapy in primary acute lung injury.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of steroid treatment in the late phase of primary acute lung injury (ALI) with special emphasis on pneumococcal pneumonia. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Multidisciplinary intensive care unit (ICU) in a university hospital. PATIENTS: Of 31 patients with primary ALI requiring mechanical ventilation for more than 10 days, 16 were treated with methylprednisolone and 15 served as controls. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Steroid and control groups were comparable regarding demographic data, APACHE II score, Multiple Organ Dysfunction Score (MODS), and PaO2/FiO2-ratio on admission to ICU. The mean start of steroid therapy was 9.7 days after establishment of respiratory failure, and values for control patients were registered on day 10. The PaO2/FiO2 ratio improved significantly within 3 days after the start of steroid therapy, and MODS and C-reactive protein decreased concurrently. No differences in mortality, in length of ICU stay, or in length of mechanical ventilation were detectable. In a subgroup analysis, for patients with Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia, beneficial change in physiological variables was evident. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with primary ALI, steroid therapy, started 10 days after the start of mechanical ventilation, improves gas exchange and is associated with a decrease in multiorgan dysfunction.

Invasive pneumococcal infections in Canadian children, 1991-1998: implications for new vaccination strategies. Canadian Paediatric Society/Laboratory Centre for Disease Control Immunization Monitoring Program, Active (IMPACT).

We reviewed 2040 consecutive cases of invasive pneumococcal infection that were seen at 11 pediatric centers across Canada during 1991-1998 to determine if such infections could be prevented by new conjugate vaccines. Isolates from 1528 cases were serotyped. Most cases (61.5%) occurred in patients aged >2 years. Underlying medical conditions were present in 23.2% of case patients. Serotypes in the 7-valent conjugate vaccine matched isolates as follows: 85.8% of tested isolates from children aged 6 months to 5 years, but significantly fewer isolates in younger and older children; 72.9% of isolates from non-healthy children, but 83.9% of isolates from previously healthy children; and 95.4% of isolates with high-level penicillin resistance, but only 72.7% of those with intermediate-level resistance. Significant natural variation in the proportion of isolates matching 7-valent vaccines occurred from year to year and among centers. New conjugate vaccines have great potential but their effectiveness and limitations require ongoing study.

Incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease and distribution of capsular types of pneumococci in Denmark, 1989-94.

During the period 1989-94, 4620 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae (4063 from blood and 557 from cerebrospinal fluid), from cases of invasive disease in Denmark, were received for capsular typing and penicillin susceptibility testing. During the study period the incidence of bacteraemic pneumococcal disease increased from 10 to 18 cases per 100000 inhabitants per year. The highest rates were seen in the very young, age less than 5 years (23/100000/year, in 1994), and in the elderly, age greater than 60 years (55/100000/year, in 1994). The annual number of cases of meningitis did not vary. Overall, 92% (93% blood, 87% CSF) of isolates and 94% of all childhood isolates belonged to the 23 vaccine types. The capsular types occurring most commonly among the 4123 pneumococcal strains from adults were types 1, 4, 14, 6A + 6B, 7F, 9V, 3, 12F, and 8 (in order of frequency). The ten most frequently occurring types from children (6A + 6B, 18C, 14, 1, 7F, 19F, 9V, 4, and 23F) covered 84% of the cases of bacteraemia and meningitis. Reduced susceptibility to penicillin was rare (< 1%).

Absceso pulmonar en niños

Introducción: El absceso pulmonar es poco frecuente en lactantes y niños; sin embrago, esta unidad es responsable de gran morbimortalidad según lo reporta la bibliografía internacional. Objetivos: Describir la experiencia del Hospital Napoleón Franco Pareja entre 1992 y 1995, en relación con el absceso pulmonar en niños. Pacientes y Métodos: Fueron revisadas de manera retrospectiva 16 historias clínicas de niños con diagnósticos comprobado de absceso pulmonar, quienes fueron hospitalizados y tratados en el Hospital Infantil Napoleón Franco en la Ciudad de Cartagena (Colombia), entre los meses de enero de 1992 y diciembre de 1995. Resultados: Reportamos las características clínicas de la enfermedad, comprendiendo la signo/sintomatología más frecuente, las localizaciones patológicas, sus estudios radiológicos, tratamiento y evolución. Destacamos la presencia de desnutrición severa como un factor condicionante importante del absceso pulmonar (absceso secundario). El tratamiento médico conservador se constituyó en el método único de manejo más utilizado. Sólo un paciente ameritó abordaje quirúrgico abierto (lobectomía). Conclusión: El absceso pulmonar es una patología de alta frecuencia en nuestro medio, lo que se corrobora con la casuística encontrada en nuestra institución (2,37/1.000), que es una de las mayores incidencias reportadas a nivel mundial. El tratamiento antibiótico empírico es útil como único manejo en la mayoría de los casos.

Experimental sinusitis in rabbits induced by aerobic and anaerobic bacteria: models for research in sinusitis.

Experimental acute sinusitis can be induced in New Zealand white rabbits by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 3, or the anaerobe Bacteroides fragilis, after blocking of the sinus ostium. Histological examination of the sinus mucosa in both models reveals edema, dilated venules, leukocytic infiltration, goblet cell formation, as well as localized epithelial lesions. In comparison the bacteroides sinusitis enhances a more pronounced and long-lasting tissue reaction, including periosteal thickening and new bone formation. The sinus mucosal blood flow as measured with microspheres Sn113 is increased as compared to control side in pneumococcal sinusitis. An increased lactate concentration of sinus secretions as well as in the pathological sinus mucosa indicates an anaerobic metabolism. Furthermore, a decreased ATP-content of the sinus mucosa suggests an energy depletion which could impair epithelial function. The anaerobic milieu of the sinus secretion is probably created by the leukocytes as analyzed by the separation of the D- and L-form of lactate.