Comparison of the sensitivity of two methods for isolation of Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Throat swab specimens from 1,494 Marine Corps recruits were inoculated into vials containing diphasic (broth/agar) mycoplasma medium and also onto PPLO agar plates, which were subsequently overlayed with sheep erythrocytes in saline agar. Strains of Mycoplasma pneumoniae were isolated from 89 (6%) of the specimens by one or both of the methods. Eight-one of the 89 (91%) positive specimens were cultured with diphasic medium, whereas only 42 (47%) were cultured with the overlay method (x2 = 7.

Comparison of heparin and streptokinase in the treatment of venous thrombosis.

Heparin or streptokinase was administered in a prospective randomized fashion to 50 patients with phlebographically confirmed venous thrombosis of the extremities of 14 days or less duration. A total of 49 patients completed the investigative protocol with 26 receiving heparin and 23 receiving streptokinase. All patients were evaluated with sequential phlebograms.

Viral aggregation resulting in the failure to correctly identify an unknown rhinovirus.

A seed lot of strain SF 1684 of rhinovirus type 2 prepared in human embryonic lung cells (WI-38) contained aggregates which interfered with its neutralization by homotypic or homologous antisera. The same virus showed no evidence of aggregation at five other passage levels studied. Virus in the seed lot was not identified correctly, and the titer of homologous antiserum was mistakenly considered to be low as a result of neutralization tests conducted with the aggregated virus.