Breakthrough pneumonia, meningitis and bloodstream infection due to Streptococcus pneumoniae during cefixime therapy.

Abstract

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the main pathogen in invasive, life-threatening diseases such as bacteremia, meningitis, and pneumonia. We describe three cases of breakthrough pneumococcal severe life-threatening infections, including two meningitis and one bloodstream infection in patients treated with cefixime for otitis, sinusitis and pneumonia, respectively. Cefixime does not seem to be fully effective in treating invasive pneumococcal diseases. Because penicillin non-susceptibility might be linked to cefixime failure, the prompt knowledge of susceptibility to penicillin in S. pneumoniae might be very useful. Furthermore, MIC of cefixime should be measured because values >0.5 mg/L might be related to failure.

• Authors: Novella Carannante, Carlo Pallotto, Mariano Bernardo, Enza Mallardo, Giovanni Di Caprio, Giulia Palmiero, Vittorio Attanasio, Carlo Tascini
• Journal: Journal of chemotherapy (Florence, Italy) (J Chemother) Vol. 31 Issue 5 Pg. 290-293 (Sep 2019) ISSN: 1973-9478 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 31215358 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• Cefixime

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Anti-Bacterial Agents (adverse effects)
• Bacteremia (chemically induced, epidemiology)
• Cefixime (adverse effects)
• Female
• Humans
• Incidence
• Italy (epidemiology)
• Male
• Meningitis (chemically induced, epidemiology)
• Pneumococcal Infections (drug therapy, microbiology)
• Pneumonia (chemically induced, epidemiology)
• Prognosis
• Streptococcus pneumoniae (drug effects)
• Young Adult