RESUMEN
Resistance of Haemophilus influenzae from clinical isolates can be predicted on the basis of results of antimicrobial susceptibility of nasopharyngeal isolates. The carriage rate and the antimicrobial susceptibility of H. influenzae isolated in healthy children attending day-care centres in Moscow, Smolensk and Yartsevo was studied. The susceptibility of ampicillin, amoxycillin/clavulanate, cefaclor, erythromycin, roxithromycin, clarithromycin and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole were determined by the E-test. The mean carriage rate of H. influenzae was 44%. Resistance of H. influenzae to ampicillin was 2.3%, to amoxycillin/clavulanate 0.7%, to cefaclor 0.7%, to clarithromycin 18.7% and to trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole 21%. These included strains that showed intermediate-resistance. The antimicrobial resistance profiles varied in different centres. The clinical use of trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole should be restricted because of the high resistance of H. influenzae to antifolate compounds.