Open AccessImproved penicillin susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae and increased penicillin consumption in Japan, 2013–18
Author(s) -
Shinya Tsuzuki,
Takayuki Akiyama,
Nobuaki Matsunaga,
Koji Yahara,
Keigo Shibayama,
Motoyuki Sugai,
Norio Ohmagari
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0240655
Subject(s) - penicillin , streptococcus pneumoniae , microbiology and biotechnology , population , correlation coefficient , medicine , antibiotics , biology , statistics , mathematics , environmental health
Objectives To examine the association between penicillin susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae and penicillin consumption in Japan. Methods We used Japan Nosocomial Infection Surveillance data on the susceptibility of S . pneumoniae and sales data obtained from IQVIA Services Japan K.K. for penicillin consumption. We analysed both sets of data by decomposing them into seasonality and chronological trend components. The cross-correlation function was checked using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient to examine the correlation between susceptibility and consumption. Results After adjusting for seasonality, the susceptibility of S . pneumoniae to penicillins gradually improved (55.7% in 2013 and 60.6% in 2018, respectively) and penicillin consumption increased during the same period (0.76 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day [DID] in 2013, and 0.89 DID in 2018). The results showed positive cross-correlation (coefficient 0.801, p -value < 0.001). In contrast, cephalosporin consumption decreased (3.91 DID in 2013 and 3.19 DID in 2018) and showed negative cross-correlation with susceptibility of S . pneumoniae to penicillins (coefficient −0.981, p -value < 0.001). Conclusions The rates of penicillin-susceptible S . pneumoniae isolates did not negatively correlate with penicillin consumption at the population level. Increased penicillin consumption might not impair the penicillin susceptibility of S . pneumoniae .