Developments in Antibiotic Treatment of Respiratory Infections: Proceedings of the Round Table Conference on Developments in Antibiotic Treatment of Respiratory Infections in the Hospital and General Practice, held in the Kurhaus, Scheveningen, The Netherlands, June 15–16, 1980

Recent reviews of respiratory-tract affections caused by M. pneumoniae under- score the benign and often subclinical course of the infection. Severe pneumonia with a reticular or acinar pattern is certainly unusual and a fatal outcome is rare, but the incidence of both is underestimated. Erythromycin and tetracyclines are the first-choice antibiotics. There is evidence indicating the importance of im- munopathogenic mechanism in provoking pneumonia and even respiratory failure. REFERENCES 1. Krech U, Price PC, Jung M: The laboratory diagnosis and epidemiology of mycoplasma pneumoniae in Switzerland. Infection 4:33, 1976. 2. Fischman RA, Marschall KE, Kislak JW: Adult respiratory distress syndrome caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae. Chest 74:471, 1978. 3. Reigner Ph, Domenighetti G, Feihl F, Bonjour JPh, Perret CI: Syndrome de detresse respiratoire aigu sur infection a mycoplasme. Sch Med W 110:220, 1980. 4. Kaufman JM, Cuvelier CA, Van der Straeten M: Mycoplasma pneumonia with fulminant evolution into diffuse interstitial fibrosis. Thorax 35:140, 1980. 5. Murray HW, Masur H, Senterfit L, Roberts R: The protean manifestations of mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in adults. Am J Med 58:229, 1975. 6. Levine DP, Lerner AM: The clinical spectrum of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections. Med Clin N Am 62:961,1978. 7. Twomey JA, Espir ML: Neurological manifestations and Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. BMJ 2:832, 1979. 8. Kingston JR, Chankock RM, Mufson MA, Hellman LP, James WD, Fox HH, Mankoma C, Boyers J: Eaton agent pneumonia. JAMA 176:118, 1961.