SIGNIFICANCE OF HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCIC BACTEREMIA

Abstract

The prognosis in infection due to hemolytic streptococci depends on the summation of such factors as the age of the patient, the location and type of the infection, the presence or absence of debilitating disease and bacteremia. For several years we have been interested in assessing the relative importance of these various factors in hemolytic streptococcic infection. At present we are reporting the results of a study of 246 patients with hemolytic streptococcic bacteremia, together with some of our observations concerning the variation in the organisms producing these infections and the defense mechanism of the host. In general, bacteremia may be interpreted as due to a loss of equilibrium between the normal clearing mechanism of the body and the local defense mechanism. In the case of hemolytic streptococcic bacteremia there are reasons for believing that bacteremia results from the invasive properties of this particular species of organism and differences in