Staphylococcal Pneumonia in the Adult

Initial and Subsequent Observations in Twenty Patients

¹ Pulmonary Disease Section, Veterans Administration Hospital

In a clinical study of experience with staphylococcal pneumonia over a four-year period, of 20 cases, 14 were associated with influenza. All but two also had other severe diseases. Eighteen developed staphylococcal infection in the hospital, and all but five had received previous antibiotic therapy. Relationships of these factors have been discussed.

Hypoxia due to thick bronchopulmonary secretions was the most important complication. Administration of steam and bronchodilators to promote bronchial drainage was essential.

The most common initial pattern revealed organisms sensitive to chloramphenicol, novobiocin, erythromycin, and oleandomycin. The first two were the most frequently efficacious drugs, primarily because more of the staphylococcal isolates were sensitive to these antimicrobials than to the other commonly used agents. The only advantage of combined therapy was to increase the likelihood of bacterial sensitivity to at least one drug.

All survivors had full recovery. Followup examinations after two years or more in nine of the 14 survivors showed no residual clinical or x-ray involvement due to their staphylococcal infection.

It is recommended that prolonged treatment with a combination of two or more antimicrobial drugs and vigilant attention to bronchial drainage be given prime consideration.