Preparations of chopped human and monkey lung were used to estimate the reaginic activity of serum from allergic patients. The lung preparation was passively sensitized by incubation with serum taken from the patients, and then challenged with the antigen responsible for the allergy. Measurement of the histamine released from the lung gave a quantitative assessment of the level of reaginic acti...

The case histories of two patients with penicillin-induced haemolytic anaemia are presented. One had received 20 mega units a day for 18 days, the other had received 20 mega units a day for two days and then 12 mega units a day for 25 days, before the haemolytic anaemia was diagnosed. Both had previously had courses of penicillin. A strongly positive direct antiglobulin reaction which appeared ...

Background In patients allergic to penicillin only a minority of those who have specific IgE against penicillin also have a positive intracutaneous test (ICT) to penicillin and vice versa. This is in contrast to findings in patients with allergy to classical type 1 allergens, e.g. grass or peanuts. Besides that, our investigations indicates that histamine is only released in the minority of pos...

When introduced in the 1950s, benzathine penicillin G (BPG) was shown to be effective in eradicating group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GAS) for at least 3 weeks after administration. Several studies since the 1990s suggest that at 3-4 weeks serum penicillin G levels are less than adequate (below MIC(90) of 0.016 µg/ml). We studied these levels for 4 weeks after the recommended dose of BPG i...

Using a rabbit sterile peritonitis model, we compared the penetration of intravenously administered amikacin, gentamicin, and penicillin G into peritoneal exudate. Peritonitis was induced with sterile normal saline, and the peritoneal exudate contained 23,751 ± 3,039 granulocytes 8 h later. Antibiotics were administered intravenously 3 h after initiating peritonitis, and serum and peritoneal fl...

Using a rabbit sterile peritonitis model, we compared the penetration of intravenously administered amikacin, gentamicin, and penicillin G into peritoneal exudate. Peritonitis was induced with sterile normal saline, and the peritoneal exudate contained 23,751 +/- 3,039 granulocytes 8 h later. Antibiotics were administered intravenously 3 h after initiating peritonitis, and serum and peritoneal ...

Numerous reports (Carpenter et al., 1944; Spink et al., 1945; Tainter, 1945) have been recorded in the literature describing increased resistance of bacteria to various chemotherapeutic substances, including antibiotics. Increased resistance of organisms to penicillin has been observed (Spink et al., 1945; Tainter, 1945; Demerec, 1945). In the latter case, attempts have been made to control inf...

Most textbook authors still endorse penicillin G as the specific antibiotic of choice for pneumococcal pneumonia. However, problems with early precise etiologic diagnosis of pneumonia and the emergence of drug-resistant pneumococci cause penicillin to be seldom used for this purpose today. A third explanation for the infrequent use of penicillin is lack of clear consensus dosing guidelines. Eme...

In comparison with the many millions of injections of penicillin given annually all over the world, the incidence of reported reactions to the drug is small. Untoward effects vary from simple discomfort at the site of injection to sudden death (Kern and Wimberley, 1953; Welch, Lewis, Kerlan, and Putnam, 1953). The amount and duration of pain at the injection site may vary with the technical ski...