Children exposed to environmental smoking have a higher antibiotic consumption.

In order to investigate what factors influence antibiotic prescribing, a questionnaire answered by 8700 parents to 4-year-old children in Malmö between 1999 and 2004 was analyzed. 51.3% of the 4-year-old children had been treated with antibiotics. Exposure to environmental smoking, attending day care centers, employment of parents and parents born in Sweden was found to be statistically significant risk factor for antibiotic prescribing. The association between environmental smoking and antibiotic treatment found in this study could be used in information campaigns which might not only lead to a decreased antibiotic prescribing among the children, but also future positive health effects for their parents.

A 10-year follow-up study of penicillin-non-susceptible S. pneumoniae during an intervention programme in Malmö, Sweden.

Changes in the proportion of penicillin-non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae (PNSP) isolates during an intervention programme were evaluated by phenotypic analysis of all initial isolates with penicillin MIC > or =0.5 microg/ml (n=1248) collected 1995-2004. During the study period, the proportion of such isolates was fairly constant (12-19%), and there was no statistically significant variation in the proportion of total PNSP cases (MIC > or =0.12 microg/ml) or PNSP with MIC > or =0.5 microg/ml, with the exception of an increase in 2004. Analysis restricted to clinical cases revealed no statistically significant changes. 23 different serogroups were found, and serogroup 9 isolates accounted for almost half of the PNSP cases. Only minor changes in phenotypic characteristics occurred in the other serogroups, which indicates that the increase in PNSP in 2004 was not due to import of a new resistant clone. Antibiotic consumption is considered to be an important risk factor for penicillin resistance in S. pneumoniae. After initiation of the intervention programme in Malmö, overall prescribing of antibiotics decreased 28%, and the reduction was even greater among children (52%). In conclusion, the proportion of PNSP isolates in Malmö has remained stable, despite the intervention programme and decreased consumption of antibiotics.

Impact of socioeconomic factors and antibiotic prescribing on penicillin- non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae in the city of Malmö.

Carriage or infection with penicillin-non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae (PNSP) has been associated with antibiotic prescribing, socioeconomic factors, and attendance at day-care centres (DCCs). In the present study, linear regression was used to estimate the relation between these risk factors and the incidence of PNSP cases (non-susceptible defined as MIC =0.5 microg/ml for penicillin) in 19 residential areas in Malmö. The number of PNSP cases was associated with the number of preschool children in the area (r=0.950, p<0.0001). The incidence of PNSP cases per 1000 children was positively correlated with antibiotic prescribing (r=0.614, p<0.01) but not with DCC attendance or any of the socioeconomic factors studied. Antibiotic prescribing was, however, positively correlated with per capita income (r = 0.597, p<0.05). Thus, even if higher socioeconomic status alone had no apparent influence on the incidence of PNSP in Malmö, there was still an indirect relation between these 2 factors, since inhabitants in these areas consumed more antibiotics. Based on these results, the spread of antibiotic-resistant pneumococci seems to be most reliably restricted by pursuing a restrictive policy regarding antibiotic prescription.