Treatment at severe staphylococcal infections with ancillin.

Ancillin is the sodium monohydrate salt of 2-biphcnylylpcnicillin, SKF 12141. Ovacillin or P 12 or prostaphlin is a similar salt of 5-meihyl-3-phenyl-4-iaoxazoiyl penicillin. This report is based on observations of 76 patients considered to have severe staphylococcal disease and treated with Ancillin parenterally, orally of by both routes. The drug was well tolerated, local irritation from intramuscular doses and the occurrence of a rash in 3 patients were the only untoward effects noted. Only 6 patients recovered among 24 who were treated solely with ancillin for infections of the lower respiratory tract, whereas among 21 patients similarly treated for other staphylococcal infections, 5 died. There were 10 deaths among 12 patients with staphylococcal bacteraemia. All of these had staphylococcal pneumonia. Superinfccuon was not a major clinical problem although in 5 of 17 cases another significant organism appeared in the respiratory tract. All strains were more or less susceptible. The high mortality largely reflects the types of patients included: an elderly group, medically compromised, and infected with highly virulent staphyloccocci acquired in the hospital often during the terminal stage of other serious diseases. Kagan - Los Angeles, Calif. (L, 2, 6, 15, 20).