Antibiotics in management of staphylococcal endocarditis; with special reference to increasing bacterial resistance.

Eighteen patients with staphylococcal endocarditis were observed at the Los Angeles County Hospital over a 3-year period (1947-49, inclusive). Twelve died. Bacterial sensitivity studies were carried out in 15 of the cases, and there was resistance to penicillin in ten. Aureomycin was effective in two cases of Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis in which there was no response to penicillin therapy. In one case of Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis the organism was resistant to penicillin and developed increasing resistance to aureomycin.