[Experience in treatment of Mycoplasma pneumoniae with acetylspiramycin].

Antibiotics of tetracycline and macrolide groups are mainly used in treatment of Mycoplasma pneumonia. In this study, acetylspiramycin (ASPM), an antibiotic of macrolide group, was given to 15 cases of Mycoplasma pneumoniae who visited this institute during the period from January, 1980 to March, 1981, and its clinical effects and side effects were investigated. The therapeutic effects were evaluated by days to the normal body temperature, to improvement in cough and to improvement in X-ray findings. The increase in serum antibody value was adopted as the diagnostic index of Mycoplasma infection. The patients who entered into this study were 7 males and 8 females, ranged from 19 to 60 years of age with an average of 36.3 years. The daily dose of ASPM was 600 to 1,200 mg (potency), and the mean administration period was 18.1 days. The results obtained were as follows. 1. The temperature fell to the normal within 2 to 7 days. 2. Cough disappeared in 2 days at shortest and in 55 days at longest. The mean period of cough disappearance was 14.5 days. 3. In 10 cases who could be followed up, shadows in X-ray films disappeared in 3 days at shortest and in 40 days at longest. The mean period to shadow disappearance was 18.6 days. 4. As regards clinical effects, marked improvement was obtained in 2 cases, improvement in 9, slight improvement in 4, and no change in 0 (improvement rate: 73.3%). 5. As a side effect, nausea was found in 1 case, but it was improved by discontinuance of administration.