Pneumococcal disease in United States children: prevalence and treatment.

Abstract

The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pneumococcal strains among infants and young children in the United States have complicated the management of infections such as community-acquired pneumonia, meningitis, bacteraemia and OM. The rapidly escalating prevalence of drug-resistant S. pneumoniae and the limited therapeutic options to successfully treat these resistant organisms accentuate the need for vaccine prevention. Successful trials with the pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate vaccine have demonstrated that it is highly effective against invasive disease, safe and immunogenic in infants, who are a high-risk population for pneumococcal disease. Trials evaluating the efficacy of this vaccine against OM and pneumonia are in progress. The pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate vaccine should provide physicians with an effective means of preventing pneumococcal infections.

• Authors: M Clanton
• Journal: International journal of clinical practice. Supplement (Int J Clin Pract Suppl) Issue 118 Pg. 13-21 (Feb 2001) ISSN: 1368-504X [Print] England
• PMID: 11715359 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Pneumococcal Vaccines
• Vaccines, Conjugate

Topics

• Bacteremia (epidemiology, therapy)
• Child, Preschool
• Humans
• Incidence
• Infant
• Meningitis, Pneumococcal (epidemiology, therapy)
• Otitis Media (epidemiology, therapy)
• Penicillin Resistance
• Pneumococcal Infections (epidemiology, therapy)
• Pneumococcal Vaccines (therapeutic use)
• Pneumonia, Pneumococcal (epidemiology, therapy)
• Prevalence
• Treatment Outcome
• United States (epidemiology)
• Vaccines, Conjugate