Ph.D.
Tran Khanh Hoan
Phenikaa University and Phenikaa University Hospital, Hanoi
Title: Assessment of Streptococcus pneumoniae Infection and Antimicrobial Resistance in Children Under Five Years of Age at Phenikaa University Hospital in 2025
Tran Khanh Hoan¹,², Phung Thi Thuy¹,², Hoang Van Tuan¹, Dang Minh Phuong¹,²
¹ Phenikaa University, Hanoi, Vietnam
² Phenikaa University Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam
Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is one of the leading causes of respiratory tract infections in children and represents a growing public health concern due to increasing antimicrobial resistance. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of S. pneumoniae infection and its antimicrobial susceptibility patterns among children under five years of age treated at Phenikaa University Hospital. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 774 nasopharyngeal specimens collected from January to December 2025. All specimens were processed according to standard microbiological procedures for bacterial isolation, identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing using the VITEK 2 Compact system (bioMérieux, France). Among the collected specimens, 185 S. pneumoniae isolates were identified, corresponding to an isolation rate of 23.90%. The highest infection rates were observed in children aged 12–23 months (38.92%) and 24–35 months (33.51%). A total of 65 coinfection cases were detected, with the most common bacterial coinfections involving Haemophilus influenzae (12.97%) and Moraxella catarrhalis (11.89%). Coinfection with bacteria was significantly more frequent than coinfection with viruses (25.41% vs. 9.73%, p < 0.001). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed extremely high resistance rates to macrolides, including azithromycin, erythromycin, clarithromycin, and dirithromycin (>96%). In contrast, all isolates remained fully susceptible to linezolid, rifampicin, tigecycline, and vancomycin (100%). These findings highlight the substantial burden of S. pneumoniae infection and the alarming prevalence of macrolide resistance among young children, emphasizing the importance of continuous surveillance and evidence-based antimicrobial stewardship to optimize treatment strategies and limit the spread of resistant strains.
Keywords: Streptococcus pneumoniae; antimicrobial resistance; antimicrobial susceptibility; nasopharyngeal specimens; children under five years
Biography of the presenting author:
Dr. Tran Khanh Hoan is a lecturer and manager of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory affiliated with Phenikaa University and Phenikaa University Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam. Her research interests focus on antimicrobial resistance, infectious diseases, laboratory quality management and laboratory diagnostics. She has participated in several studies related to healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial susceptibility surveillance, and public health microbiology. Her current work emphasizes monitoring emerging antimicrobial resistance patterns and improving evidence-based infection management in pediatric and hospital settings.
Presenting author details:
Full name: Dr. Tran Khanh Hoan
Contact number: 085773024
Email: hoan.trankhanh@phenikaa-uni.edu.vn
Session name/number:
Category: Oral Presentation