EVALUATION OF PENICILLIN AND HYPERBARIC-OXYGEN IN THE TREATMENT OF STREPTOCOCCAL MYOSITIS

The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) and penicillin (PCN) therapy in a murine model of streptococcal myositis, The thighs of Swiss Webster mice were inoculated with Strep tococcus pyogenes. Four groups were evaluated: (1) control (N = 10), ( 2) HBO treatment (N = 10), (3) PCN treatment (N = 8), and (4) PCN and HBO treatment (N = 6). Mortality (day of death) and the number of colo ny-forming units (cfu) were measured, PCN significantly lowered cfu fr om control (p < 0.05), Cfu in group 4 was significantly lower than PCN alone (p = 0.006). Survival was significantly longer in the PCN group compared with the control (p < 0.01). Survival in the combined treatm ent group was significantly longer than PCN alone (p < 0.01), These re sults suggest that (1) HBO treatment alone does not decrease mortality or bacterial proliferation in vivo significantly, (2) PCN therapy alo ne improves outcome significantly, and (3) the combined treatment of P CN and HBO exerts at least additive effects in both decreasing bacteri al counts in vivo and increasing survival in this model.