Abstract
1) Colimycin (C. M.) is an antibiotic obtained from a species of spore-bearing aerobacilli, which were separated from the soil. It has inhibitory activity against the gramnegative bacteria. Its effects on the surgical infections caused by Escherichia coli or other intestinal bacteria are greatly expected.
2) We administered C. M. against 33 cases, of which 15 cases were acute localized peritonitis, 8 were acute diffuse peritonitis and 9 were of others (acute inflammatory intestinal diseases, empyema thoracis, and one case which C. M. was administered post-operatively upon exstirpation of anal fistula).
3) Methods of administration.: 25mg of C. M., suspended in 2 to 5cc of Aqua dest., was given intramuscularly. Daily doses varied from 50mg to 200mg, according to the degree of symptoms. Total doses reached to 250mg upto 1, 600mg in the duration of 3 to 14 days of administration. We also used C. M. by local application: i. e., 10mg of C. M. suspended in 2 to 5cc of Aqua dest., were instilled into peritoneal cavity or injected into infected wounds or operation wounds for several days.
4) Evaluation of the effects; According to the observed efficiency of C. M., we classified our caces into 3 groups. They were group A, in which C. M. was proved to be remarkably effective, group B, in which C. M. was effective and group C, in which C. M. was poorly effective. In group A, fever was alleviated and leukocytosis was mitigated within 3 days. In group B, symptoms seemed to be lessened compared to that of cases without C. M. treatment. We made comparative studies of two groups, of which one group was single C. M. group and the other group was given combined administration of antibiotics or operative measures and C. M.
5) Results: The therapeutic effects of C. M. are summarized in the following table:
6) Since acute abdominal infections are of various etiology and take complicated courses, chemotherapy must have inhibitory activities against any kinds of bacteria, especially against intestinal bacteria. Therefore, we consider that C. M. combined with other antibiotics may give better results than in case C. M. was solely used. However, our experiences were not satisfactory enough to confirm that. Notwithstanding the great progress in the chernotheiapy, operative measures still remain as the major procedures in the treatments of acute diffuse peritonitis. However, in case of local peritonitis, a subsidary treatments became generally an accepted ones, so the use of C. M. shall be reasonable treatment.
