The Treatment of Pneumonia

Abstract

Spontaneous recovery from pneumococcic pneumonia depends upon the production by the body of sufficient specific antibodies to unite with all of the pneumococcus antigen (the capsular carbohydrate). This union of antibodies and antigen sensitizes the pneumococci so that they can be destroyed by phagocytosis or lysis. There are two methods of treatment of pneumonia by which the immunological processes of the body can be assisted in attaining a concentration of specific antibodies sufficient to bring about recovery of the patient. One of these consists of the intravenous administration of type-specific antipneumococcus serum, and the other is the method of chemotherapy. Antipneumococcus serum augments the supply of naturally formed antibodies and thus hastens arrival at the stage where antibodies are present in excess of the antigen or capsular carbohydrate. The newer chemotherapeutic agents, on the other hand, act by retarding the multiplication of the pneumococci. The production of antibodies proceeds at its normal rate and, in successfully treated cases, the autogenous supply of antibodies rapidly attains a concentration sufficient to unite with all of the retarded supply of antigen.

Both serum therapy and chemotherapy have proved effective in greatly reducing the mortality rate of pneumococcic pneumonia. With serum therapy the average mortality rate is now approximately 15 per cent; with chemotherapy it is 6 to 8 per cent. Although chemotherapy has a distinct statistical advantage, serum therapy has not been superseded. Further developments in chemotherapy may entirely supplant the use of antipneumococcic serum but, in the meantime, much work must be. . .