Evaluation of fuadin therapy in schistosomiasis japonica

ABSTRACT

Treatment with Fuadin was tried in 2,407 patients who were found positive for Schistosoma japonicum ova on stool examination. These patients represented both sexes of all ages ranging from 5 to 50 years. Only 1,135 were able to complete one course of 40 cc. given intramuscularly in nine injections. Of this number, 1,083 were followed-up during and after treatmentAt the end of one course, 847 or 78.21% ceased to pass viable ova; 236 or 21.79% were still positive on stool examination . Of these 236 patients, 62 continued to receive additional injections until all became negative. Taken together, 909 or 83.91% no longer passed ova in the stool at the end of treatmentOnly 334 out of 909 were followed-up one month after completing treatment, and 34 or 9.28% were again positive for eggs. These cases were considered relapses or treatment failures rather than re-infectionsToxic reactions appeared in 63.3% (718) of the 1,135 patients, the most common of which were nausea, vomiting, and anorexia, general body weakness, headache, joint pains, and fever. Despite these reactions, the whole course of nine injections was continued in the 1,135 patients by simply prolonging the interval of injection as long as the toxic reactions were still present. (Summary)