Epidemic Respiratory Disease: The pneumonias and other infections of the repiratory tract accompanying influenza and measlesOpie, Eugene L. (Eugene Lindsay)
History
Epidemic Respiratory Disease: The pneumonias and other infections of the repiratory tract accompanying influenza and measles
B. influenzæ has been present in the bronchi in 79.3 per cent of
instances of pneumonia referable to influenza. Combinations which have
been found most frequently are B. influenzæ and pneumococci (17
instances), B. influenzæ and hemolytic streptococci (18 instances), or
the same combinations with staphylococci, namely, B. influenzæ,
pneumococci and staphylococci (15 instances), and B. influenzæ,
hemolytic streptococci and staphylococci (16 instances). There is little
doubt that B. influenzæ was not identified in some instances in which it
was present; when other microorganisms are very numerous its
inconspicuous colonies may be overgrown even though the presence of
pneumococci, streptococci or staphylococci tends to increase the size of
its colonies. Moreover, it is not improbable that the microorganism may
disappear from the bronchi. Comparison with observations made upon
influenza suggests that multiple methods of examination might have
demonstrated a much higher incidence of B. influenzæ. Throat cultures
alone made during life demonstrated the presence of B. influenzæ in only
65.7 per cent of patients with acute influenza, whereas when cultures
were made from the nose, throat and sputum, and a mouse was inoculated
with sputum from each patient, B. influenzæ was found in every instance.
After the acute stage of the disease had passed, the number of
microorganisms diminished, and in many instances B. influenzæ
disappeared from the upper air passages. In some of our autopsies B.
influenzæ doubtless present during life has similarly disappeared before
death due to pneumonia caused by pneumococci or streptococci. In view of
these considerations it is not improbable that B. influenzæ demonstrated
by a single culture in 80 per cent of instances has been constantly
present.
Table XXVIII represents the incidence of pneumococci, hemolytic
streptococci, staphylococci, and B. influenzæ in the bronchi, lungs and
blood of those individuals with pneumonia in whom bacteriologic
examination has been made at autopsy. The number of cultures made from
the bronchi, lungs or blood of the heart is given in the second column
of the table and in other columns are given the incidence in number and
percentage of the microorganisms which have been mentioned.
TABLE XXVIII
════════╤════════╤═════════════════╤═════════════════
│ NO. OF │ │ HEMOLYTIC
│CULTURES│ PNEUMOCOCCI │ STREPTOCOCCI
────────┼────────┼────────┬────────┼────────┬────────
│ │ NO. │PER CENT│ NO. │PER CENT
│ │POSITIVE│POSITIVE│POSITIVE│POSITIVE
────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────
Bronchus│ 121│ 56│ 46.3│ 58│ 47.9
Lung │ 153│ 68│ 44.4│ 77│ 50.3
Blood │ 218│ 87│ 39.9│ 85│ 39.0
────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account