Comparative study of pyrantel pamoate, bephenium hydroxynaphthoate, and tetrachloroethylene in the treatment of Necator americanus infections
Botero, D.; Castaño, A.
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 22(1): 45-52
1973
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9637 PMID: 4684888 Document Number: 58112
In Colombia, 105 patients over 14 years old with Necator americanus infection were treated with 3 anthelmintics and faecal egg counts were made before and after treatment. Pyrantel pamoate at 10 and 20 mg/kg body-weight daily for 2 days and at 10 and 20 mg/kg daily for 3 days cured 3 of 21, 12 of 17, 12 of 16 and 8 of 15, respectively, and egg counts were reduced by 50% or more in 17 of 21, 4 of 17, 4 of 16 and 7 of 15, respectively. 5g bephenium hydroxynaphthoate daily for 3 days and 3 ml tetrachloroethylene daily for 3 days cured one of 20 and 3 of 16, respectively, and reduced egg counts by over 50% in 12 of 20 and 13 of 16, respectively. Some of the patients were also infected with Ascaris lumbricoides; 41 of 45 were cured with pyrantel pamoate and significant egg count reductions occurred in the other 4. 2 of 8 patients treated with bephenium hydroxynaphthoate were cured and in 5 of the others the A. lumbricoides egg count was reduced by 50% or more. Tetrachloroethylene had virtually no effect on A. lumbricoides. None of the 3 drugs had any appreciable effect on Trichuris trichiura. Side effects were reported by 6 of the 32 patients who received pyrantel pamoate at 20 mg/kg; none was reported with 10 mg/kg. Mild to moderate side effects were reported in 12 of the 20 patients who received bephenium hydroxynaphthoate and in 15 of the 16 who received tetrachloroethylene.