ACTH and Adrenocorticosteroids as Therapeutic Adjuncts in Infectious Diseases

Abstract

CARDINAL features of an infectious disease are inflammation, fever and a toxic state. For many years, antipyretic agents, notably the salicylates, have been employed in an empirical fashion for subduing these manifestations. These drugs often alleviate the discomfort of the patient. The sulfonamides, antibiotics and other chemotherapeutic agents have offered a more rational and successful approach to the management of infectious diseases by eliminating the micro-organisms from the host. Nevertheless, the inflammatory reaction of the tissues and the associated metabolic aberrations induced by the various species of microbes still constitute serious aspects of infectious diseases, even though chemotherapy may have . . .