INFLUENCE OF PENICILLINASE-PRODUCING STAPHYLOCOCCI ON THE ERADICATION OF GROUP A STREPTOCOCCI FROM THE UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT BY PENICILLIN TREATMENT
Penicillinase-producing strains of S. aureus were isolated from the upper respiratory tract of 28% of a group of children presenting with signs or symptoms of respiratory illness and group A streptococci on cultures from the pharynx or anterior nares. Although group A streptococci were found in 10% of the children 14 to 30 days after penicillin treatment, no correlation was found between the presence of penicillinase-producing S. aureus initially or at follow-up and re-isolation of group A streptococci. There was no suggestion from these studies that antibiotic therapy aimed at penicillin-resistant staphylococci would be of any greater value than intramuscular benzathine penicillin G for the treatment of patients with group A streptococci in the upper respiratory tract.