The treatment of streptococcal skin infections

In studies involving 531 children with streptococcal skin lesions, with or without penicillin-resistant staphylococci also present, intramuscular benzathine penicillin G provided the most effective treatment. Streptococci, when present in the respiratory tract, were also eradicated. Neither topical bacitracin nor a single injection of penicillin in oil gave satisfactory results. Six of 54 siblings of children with nephritis, all of whom were infected with nephritogenic streptococci, developed acute glomerulonephritis within one week after initiation of therapy, suggesting that treatment came too late to prevent this complication. It is uncertain how often benzathine penicillin G therapy prevented nephritis in other patients. Such therapy does provide a means for prompt eradication of streptococci, effective clearing of clinical infection, and limiting the spread of organisms to others. Significant untoward reactions to penicillin were not observed.