Penicillin Therapy in Icteric Leptospirosis

Charles N. Edwards Department of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, and the MRC/Barbados Government Leptospira Laboratory, St. Michael, Barbados

Search for other papers by Charles N. Edwards in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
George D. Nicholson Department of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, and the MRC/Barbados Government Leptospira Laboratory, St. Michael, Barbados

Search for other papers by George D. Nicholson in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Trevor A. Hassell Department of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, and the MRC/Barbados Government Leptospira Laboratory, St. Michael, Barbados

Search for other papers by Trevor A. Hassell in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Christopher O. R. Everard Department of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, and the MRC/Barbados Government Leptospira Laboratory, St. Michael, Barbados

Search for other papers by Christopher O. R. Everard in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
, and
Joy Callender Department of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, and the MRC/Barbados Government Leptospira Laboratory, St. Michael, Barbados

Search for other papers by Joy Callender in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.1988.39.388
Volume/Issue:
Volume 39: Issue 4
Page(s):
388–390
Restricted access
Get Permissions

A prospective, controlled randomized study of penicillin therapy in icteric human leptospirosis was carried out between 1 October 1983 and 31 December 1986. Thirty-eight patients received intravenous crystalline penicillin for 5 days, while 41 assigned to a control group received intravenous fluids only. A comparison of the results of laboratory tests made on the day of admission revealed no significant differences between the 2 groups. There was no significant difference in time for defervescence, return of biochemical parameters to normal, incidence of iritis, or mortality in the 2 groups. Three patients (7.3%) in the control group and 1 patient (2.6%) in the treatment group died. The overall mortality rate was 5.9%. Leptospira were recovered from urine cultures in 6 control patients but from none of the treated patients' post-treatment cultures. We conclude that penicillin has little effect on clinical outcome in icteric leptospirosis.

Author Notes

Copyright:
Copyright © 1988 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 1988
Published Online:
Oct 1988
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
Past two years Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 1019 308 31
Full Text Views 39 9 1
PDF Downloads 47 11 1
 
 
 
 
Affiliate Membership Banner
 
 
Research for Health Information Banner
 
 
CLOCKSS
 
 
 
Society Publishers Coalition Banner
Save