2013, Number 4
Use of levamisole in the course of acute and chronic respiratory diseases
Tamayo SJR, Tamayo PDI
Language: Spanish
References: 0
Page: 528-530
PDF size: 67.52 Kb.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: levamisole is used as an anthelmintic drug, which restores the immune response in man. In Guyana, there was no knowledge on the effect of this drug, which led to its use as immune regulator for acute and chronic viral conditions.Objective: to contribute to a better understanding of the use of levamisole as immunoregulator in the course of acute respiratory infections and some chronic diseases.
Methods: an intervention study from January to December 2012 was carried out, where the drug was used to a sample (selected by simple random) of 100 patients with acute and chronic respiratory disease and aged: under one year, from one to four and five to fourteen years from the Pediatric Consultation, Suddie Public Hospital in Guyana. These patients underwent complete blood count and chest x-ray. Levamisole was administered to 75 patients at a dose of 2.5 ml / kg, twice a week and the remaining 25 were given a placebo (vitamin C-500 mg) twice a week. The treatment time varied between 2 and 6 months, but some patients kept for more than 6 months.
Results: in both groups the clinical response to both treatments demonstrated the efficacy of levamisole, in the group of one to four years was more significant, followed by five to fourteen years. The IRA high to repetition and bronchiolitis were the largest clinical manifestation. When comparing the experimental group with the control group significant differences were observed.
Conclusions: the drug is more effective in pre-school child in the school with ARF at the dose of 2.5 mg / kg x dose, twice a week, in cycles of two months, which may be repeated in cycles up to six times.