[Respiratory tract infections: how frequent is antibiotic resistance? In vitro activity of older and recent antibiotics against the significant pathogens].

Presumably influenced by the new cost-saving health care regulations, more of the long-established antibiotics are now being prescribed. This fact prompted the present study on the current resistance profiles of such antibiotics used to treat major pathogens responsible for airway infections. A total of 202 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Moraxella catarrhalis and Haemophilus influenzae were investigated. Sensitivity was determined using the agar dilution test for doxycycline, erythromycin, penicillin G, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cefpodoxime. In the case of such older antibiotics as doxycycline, erythromycin and amoxicillin, certain shortcomings in their efficacy against these common pathogens were found, while the bacteria were all sensitive to a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid and to the oral cephalosporin, cefodoxime. In order to avoid the risk of ineffectivity in the treatment of infection of the airways, it is recommended that in Germany a new oral cephalosporin or a combination of an aminopenicillin and a beta-lactamase inhibitor be used.