Show Pneumonia Still Packs Wallop Report States Pneumonia popularly of as asan asan asan an old fashioned disease e is still deadly Combined with influenza pneumonia is one of the ten leading causes of death in this country according according according accord accord- ing to td Dr Robert Austrian in ina a recent lecture at the University University University Uni Uni- of Utah College of Medicine According to Dr Austrian since the introduction of antibiotics antibiotics antibiotics anti anti- and due to the resulting resulting resulting result result- ing sharp reduction in deaths caused by bacteria bacteria bacteria bac bac- teria research which might have resulted in a more complete complete complete com com- understanding of how this kind of bacteria causes death has been discontinued Promising vaccine preparations preparations preparations have also been stopped Pneumonia is especially serious in people over 50 gears ears of age he said Since this age group is ever ing the University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsyl Pennsyl- vania medical researcher told his Utah audience that it would seem appropriate to reexamine reexamine reexamine re- re examine our approach to pneumonia This could result in re-establishing re preventive measures for older people who are most vulnerable to the disease and continuing research research research re re- re- re search to better understand the action of the bacteria when they invade the blood stream In studies conducted by Dr Austrian at the State University University University sity of New York Downstate Medical Center it was found that 60 per cent of the deaths from pneumonia in penicillin penicillin- treated patients occur in the first five days of illness During During During Dur Dur- ing this crucial early period the survival rate of these patients patients patients pa pa- varies little from those who receive serum treatment or no treatment at all 1311 It is in the days after the first five that penicillin makes makes' a differ differ- ence If a penicillin treated penicillin treated patient survives the first five days his chances of recovery are 90 per cent Less than 20 per cent of the untreated patients patients patients patients' pa pa- recover even if they too survive the first five days One advantage of penicillin is that it has made it possible to study the course of pneumonia pneumonia pneumonia monia in patients who without the antibiotic would have died These studies are opening the way to new discoveries about physical abnormal ties which lead to complications such as or inflammation inflammation inflammation in in- of the lining of the heart and its valves wIves and or inflammation of the brain or spinal cord mem mem- branes |