Hemophilus Influenzae Bacillus in Viral Pneumonias

¹ Chief, Medical Service, Camp Polk Army Hospital, Camp Polk, Louisiana.
² Medical Service, Walter Reed Army Hospital, Washington, D. C.
³ Directon, Education and Training Division, Office of the Surgeon General, Department of the Army, Washington, D. C.

A series of 300 cases of primary atypical (viral) pneumonitis is presented in two groups. One group of 41 showing H. influenzae bacilli by culture of the sputa is compared to a group of 259 which failed to grow this organism on culture. It appears from this study that H. influenzae bacilli as a secondary invader is likely to produce a more severe and prolonged illness than the viral pneumonias which have no secondary bacterial infection. It appears that aureomycin and chloramphenicol are effective in producing subjective and clinical improvement in these patients, but do not seem to hasten resolution of the pneumonitis.