Infections from a certain antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been rising in the U.S.
"Some infections in children that have typically been treated with oral antibiotics in the past may now require hospitalization, treatment with intravenous drugs, or both, as there may not be an oral treatment option available," Doctor Latania K. Logan, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of pediatrics and pediatric infectious disease specialist at Rush University Medical Center, said in a Rush University Medical Center news release.
The researchers looked at 370,000 bacterial cultures from cases that took place between the years of 1999 and 2011.
The team observed an increased prevalence of resistant bacteria; the bacteria release an enzyme (spectrum beta-lactamase or ESBL) that fights off antibiotics and other modern treatments. Over the years of the study the prevalence of ESBL bacteria grew from 0.28 percent to 0.92 percent. Three quarters of these bacteria (74.4 percent) of these bacteria were found to be resistant to "multiple classes of antibiotics," the news release reported.
"These antibiotic-resistant bacteria have traditionally been found in health care settings but are increasingly being found in the community, in people who have not had a significant history of health care exposure," Logan said. "In our study, though previous medical histories of the subjects were unknown, 51.3 percent of the children with these infections presented in the outpatient or ambulatory setting."
"Physicians should obtain cultures for suspected bacterial infections to help determine which antibiotics are best," Logan said.
The researchers believe the development of new drugs is also necessary in protecting children against these antibiotic strains.
"The overwhelming majority of current research for new pharmaceuticals against antibiotic-resistant organisms are in adults," Logan said. "More research is needed to define risk factors for these infections in children, their prevalence in different settings, and their molecular epidemiology."
