PENICILLIN THERAPY IN HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCIC PHARYNGITIS AND TONSILLITIS

Abstract

Despite the advances in chemotherapy, the development of an effective treatment of such a relatively common disease as hemolytic streptococcic pharyngitistonsillitis remains an important medical problem. Although the clinical value of the sulfonamides first was demonstrated against the hemolytic streptococcus, 1 subsequent clinical observations have shown that this organism is relatively sulfonamide resistant when compared with the meningococcus, gonococcus and pneumococcus. Furthermore, some observers believe that the clinical courses of uncomplicated streptococcic pharyngitis-tonsillitis and scarlet fever are not alleviated or shortened by sulfonamide therapy, 2 although it is generally accepted that complications occur less frequently in these diseases when the sulfonamides are used 3 and the value of the sulfonamides in the treatment of hemolytic streptococcic otitis media, mastoiditis, meningitis and pneumonia is unquestioned. Since the introduction of penicillin, the superiority of this new drug over the sulfonamides in the serious hemolytic streptococcic infections has been demonstrated 4 but its