Penicillin or Clindamycin for Primary Lung Abscess?
Authors: John G. Bartlett, Sherwood L. Gorbach
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1983)

Editorials1 April 1983Penicillin or Clindamycin for Primary Lung Abscess?JOHN G. BARTLETT, M.D., SHERWOOD L. GORBACH, M.D.JOHN G. BARTLETT, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, SHERWOOD L. GORBACH, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-98-4-546 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptPenicillin is generally regarded as the preferred drug for treatment of anaerobic lung abscess. This consensus is reflected in recent authoritative texts dealing with internal medicine (1), infectious diseases (2), chemotherapy (3), and pulmonary disease (4). "Penicillin" was the "right" answer for the query regarding the preferred drug for primary lung abscess in the 1982 examination of the American Board of Internal Medicine. Notwithstanding such conventional wisdom, in this issue Levison and associates (5) present data suggesting that clindamycin therapy is superior. The findings in this comparative trial, and especially the high rate of penicillin failures, run counter to current...References1. HIRSCHMANN J, MURRAY J, and PETERSDORF R. Pneumonia and lung abscess. In: ISSELBACHER KJ, ADAMS RD, BRAUNWALD E, PETERSDORF RG, WILSON JD, eds. Principles of Internal Medicine. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company; 1980:1228-9. Google Scholar2. FINEGOLD S. Lung abscess. In: MANDELL GL, DOUGLAS RG JR, BENNETT JE, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. New York: John Wiley & Sons; 1979:509-15. Google Scholar3. SANDE M and MANDELL G. Antimicrobial agents. In: GILMAN AG, GOOD LS, GILMAN A, eds. New York: MacMillan Publishing Company, Inc.; 1980:1086-93, 1139. Google Scholar4. FRASER R and PARE J. Diagnosis of Diseases of the Chest. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company; 1978:725-31. Google Scholar5. 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CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar18. SEN P, TECSON F, KAPILA R, and LOURIA D. Clindamycin in the oral treatment of putative anaerobic pneumonias. Arch Intern Med. 1974;134:73-7. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar19. HAND W and KING-THOMPSON N. Membrane transport of clindamycin in alveolar macrophages. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1982;21:241-7. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: JOHN G. BARTLETT, M.D.; SHERWOOD L. 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