Antibiotic Therapy of Bacterial Endocarditis

Twenty-three patients with endocarditis caused by penicillin-sensitive streptococci have received short-term treatment with penicillin and dihydrostreptomycin, combined, for two weeks. Five of the patients died from complications of their infection; 18 were living and well, at the time of this study, after an average follow-up period of more than one year. No failures in treatment or relapses have occurred. It is concluded from the study of these patients that 1,000,000 units of aqueous procaine penicillin-G and 1 Gm. of dihydrostreptomycin sulfate given intramuscularly every 12 hours for two weeks is curative for this type of endocarditis.