Abstract
Although prophylactic penicillin has been recommended for use in asplenic patients, no laboratory or clinical data exist to support its effectiveness. There is an increased mortality, over time, in asplenic mice exposed to aerosolized Type III S. pneumoniae (Abstract submitted to the 1978 SPR meeting). Using this same model, 121 male Swiss mice (mean wt. 26 gms.) were divided into 4 groups; splenectomized, sham-operated, splenectomized + penicillin and sham-operated + penicillin. After 2 weeks the 4 groups were exposed for 30 min. to an aerosolized atmosphere of 2.4 × 109 colony-forming units of Type III S. pneumoniae using a Tri-R Model A42 Airborne Infection Apparatus (Tri-R Instruments, Inc., Rockville Centre, N.Y.). Penicillin was given in a daily IM dose of 40,000 units of procaine penicillin G beginning 2 days prior to exposure and continuing through the 3rd day after exposure. The splenectomized and sham-operated mice given penicillin showed a significantly lower mortality (P <.001) when compared to mice not given penicillin. Seventy-two animals died and all but 6 had a positive lung homogenate culture for pneumococci.(Supported in part by NIH Grant 1 R01 HL 20170-01)
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