Diphtheroid Subacute Bacterial Endocarditis Successfully Treated With Bacitracin

THE ADVENT of antibiotic therapy has brought about a dramatic improvement in the recovery rate from subacute bacterial endocarditis. At present, according to reports in the literature, the outlook for cure in patients treated with adequate penicillin schedules varies from 80 to 95%. These reports contrast sharply with a spontaneous recovery rate of 1% and the recovery rate of 5% attributable to sulfonamide therapy reported in the series collected by Lichtman.1Friedberg,2however, pointed out that the actual clinical recovery rate in his series was only about 70%, which was much lower than the bacteriological cure rates being reported. He attributed this difference in results to a variety of reasons, the most important of which were failure to isolate the organism, improper diagnosis with consequent delay in proper treatment, and inadequate treatment schedules. The most favorable results, according to Bloomfield,3are obtained in fairly young persons with