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Abstract
Background: Streptococcus pneumoniae is among the most frequent causes of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in children and poses a great burden on morbidity and antibiotic resistance worldwide.
Objective: To establish the patterns of antibiotic resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae among children with LRTIs.
Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted over six months within the Department of Paediatrics of a Tertiary Care Hospital, Lahore from January 2025 to June 2025. Non-disaggregated consecutive sampling was used to enroll 350 paediatric patients (2 months -12 years old) with laboratory-confirmed pneumococcal LRTIs. Respiratory samples were collected under sterile conditions and processed according to conventional microbiological protocols. The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion test was conducted as suggested in CLSI to determine antibiotic susceptibility. Data analysis was done in SPSS, and the results were in the form of frequency, percentages. And chi-square test was conducted. The p-value of≤ 0.05 was taken to be significant.
Results: The most frequent clinical presentation was pneumonia, and the sputum samples were the most prevalent. Macrolides, such as erythromycin and azithromycin, were highly resistant, and penicillin resistance was moderate. Ceftriaxone and levofloxacin continued to be sensitive, with vancomycin being 100% susceptible.
Conclusion: The research shows that paediatric pneumococcal isolates exhibit high levels of macrolide and penicillin resistance, which is why it is recommended to use antibiotics rationally and ensure better pneumococcal vaccination coverage.