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The Joint Responsibility of the Internist and the Otolaryngologist in the Removal of Focal Infection.Dr. Paul S. Rhoads (by invitation).
An attempt is made to show that in spite of newer methods of treatment of nose and throat infections, a certain proportion of them progress to a localized chronic infectious focus, which is responsible in part, at least, for such systemic conditions as rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, iritis, bronchiectasis, and acute and subacute nephritis. Vigorous administration of antibiotics in the acute stage, and even in the subacute or chronic stage, will greatly diminish the number and severity of such foci of infection. Recognition of the allergic nature of many of the chronic pathologic processes in the nose and throat will lead to methods of treatment that may make surgical intervention unnecessary. When such foci exist, however, in spite of a combined antibacterial and antiallergic attack, they often must be