Crystalline Pancreatic Desoxyribonuclease as an Adjunct to the Treatment of Pneumococcal Meningitis

Abstract

ALTHOUGH the pneumococcus is sensitive to many antibiotics, the mortality from pneumococcal meningitis has remained extraordinarily high. Mortality figures on more than 800 cases, in patients of all ages from 14 clinics, ranged from 8 per cent to 68 per cent and averaged 28 per cent.^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14} All these cases were "adequately treated" intravenously and intramuscularly with large doses of penicillin, together with sulfonamides.This high mortality has been attributed, in the acute phase, to cerebral edema with brain-stem compression, pressure from the inflammatory exudate (generalized, or due to cerebrospinal block) and systemic effects of the septicemia. During the subacute phase . . .