[New effective therapy of systemic infection with Nocardia asteroides]

A combination of amoxicillin with clavulanic acid (a beta-lactamase inhibitor) and the aminoglycoside amikacin proved effective in the treatment of advanced pulmonary nocardiosis in a 49-year-old man. The result accorded with preceding in-vitro and animal experiments and justifies this combination of drugs in the treatment of nocardiosis, especially if the causative organism is N. farcinica (N. asteroides, biovariety B).