BACKGROUND: Partial liquid ventilation with perfluorocarbon is a new therapeutic strategy to treat various lung disorders. The current study was undertaken to determine the efficacy of partial liquid ventilation with a perfluorocarbon (FC-77) in the treatment of pneumococcal pneumonia in rats.

METHODS: Male Wistar rats (weight, 275-300 g; n, 75) were infected via direct intratracheal inoculation with ca 10(9) colony-forming units of viable Streptococcus pneumoniae, serotype 3, and 24 h after infection were placed into one of five groups, each containing 15 rats. The groups were (1) no treatment, (2) one intramuscular injection of penicillin G benzathine (200,000 U), (3) partial liquid ventilation with FC-77, (4) partial liquid ventilation with FC-77 and a single intramuscular dose of penicillin G benzathine (200,000 U), and (5) gas ventilation. Animals were observed every 24 h for survival.

RESULTS: All untreated or gas-ventilated animals or animals that received only partial liquid ventilation were dead by 7 days. Those receiving only partial liquid ventilation survived longer than untreated controls, but ultimately all succumbed by day 7. Survival was 40% for penicillin-treated rats compared with controls (P < 0.05) and 80% for animals treated with both partial liquid ventilation and penicillin versus antibiotic alone (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that partial liquid ventilation with perfluorocarbon in combination with antibiotic administration may be an effective therapeutic modality in pneumococcal pneumonia.