Streptococcus Pneumoniae Treatment

According to Dawn F. Muench, MD, and Michael Rajnik, MD, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Streptococcus pneumoniae causes community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), bacterial meningitis, bacteremia, otitis media (ear infection), sinusitis, septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, peritonitis and endocarditis. Many cases of pneumococcal infections are prevented each year by pneumococcal conjugate vaccination.

Head and Respiratory Infections

• The most common condition caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in the U.S. is otitis media, or ear infection. Doctors treat ear infections and other infections such as conjunctivitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, tracheobronchitis and pneumonia with antibiotics prescribed for home treatment. Some patients will need more serious intervention such as hospitalization.

Pneumonia Treatments

• Pneumonia poses a serious health risk to certain populations, children under age 2, people in daycare centers and homeless shelters, elderly and people with chronic conditions including immunosuppressive disorders, diabetes and sickle cell disease. Patients with pneumonia can normally receive oral antibiotics. According to Muench and Rajnik, when patients are hospitalized for serious cases of pneumonia, they receive IV antibiotics, medicines for pulmonary complaints and pain and possibly IV fluids, nutrition, oxygen and other medications.

Meningitis

• Streptococcal pneumoniae can cause bacterial meningitis, or infection of the nervous system, which can result in death or severe nervous system damage. Children and adults are treated with drugs such as vancomycin, ceftriaxone, penicillin, imipenem and rifampin, according to Muench and Rajnik.

Antibiotics

• The Immunization Action Coalition reports that penicillin is the first antibiotic of choice for treating pneumococcal infections, but many strains of pneumococcal bacteria resist common antibiotics.

  According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), three common antibiotics used to treat streptococcus pneumoniae in the U.S. are ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and ofloxacin. Ciprofloxacin, marketed as Cipro®, Cipro® XR, or Proquin® XR, is used for Streptococcus pneumoniae and other bacterial infections. Levofloxacin, marketed as Levaquin®, is used to treat chronic bronchitis caused by pneumonia. Ofloxacin, marketed as Floxin®, is also used for Streptococcus pneumoniae.