Case report. Clinical manifestations and treatment of Legionnaires' disease.

Abstract

Eight patients with atypical pneumonia caused by the Legionnaires' disease organism were seen during the spring and summer of 1977. Two died of the acute illness. All patients were febrile and presented with symptoms of acute respiratory infection. Other symptoms included malaise, anorexia, chills, myalgia, and headache. Severe hypoxemia was a striking feature. Conventional methods to determine the etiology of these pneumonias were unsuccessful but subsequent serological studies confirmed the diagnosis of Legionnaires' disease. Seven patients were treated with beta-lactam antibiotics alone or with an aminoglycoside and all failed to respond. Six were subsequently treated with erythromycin and five who received this drug for at least 48 hours were markedly improved within this time period. We believe that erythromycin is effective in the treatment of Legionnaires' disease.

• Authors: I M Baird, D Fay, R L Thompson, N E Gordon, L G Murcko
• Journal: The American journal of the medical sciences (Am J Med Sci) 1979 Mar-Apr Vol. 277 Issue 2 Pg. 223-32 ISSN: 0002-9629 [Print] United States
• PMID: 463949 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• Erythromycin

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Anti-Bacterial Agents (therapeutic use)
• Erythromycin (therapeutic use)
• Female
• Humans
• Legionnaires' Disease (diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Pneumonia (etiology)