Diasone in Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Abstract

A few years ago it was found that the sulfone compounds have a very favorable effect in the treatment of experimental tuberculosis in guinea pigs.--'' Promin was the first of these drugs to be used clinically for pulmonary tuberculosis in humans.' In January 1943 Fetter of Waukegan, Illinois, began the clinical investigation of Diasone—the disodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate derivative of diaminodiphenylsulfone. He reported encouraging results, and in March 1943 we began to use Diasone at Mineral Springs Sanatorium. To date we have given the drug to a total of 74 patients, 25 of whom were unable to continue treatment due to undesirable toxic reactions. This report is concerned chiefly with a series of 36 patients who have received an average daily dose of .9 grams or more for a period of 120 days or longer. Some of the patients required short rest periods intermittently due to a drop in hemoglobin or other toxic symptoms. However, the average daily dose was computed on the basis of total elapsed time, including the rest periods. Dosage was regulated to approach the individual's limit of tolerance. Patients receiving collapse therapy which affected the lesions under study are not included in this group. All of these patients were under sanatorium care and management. Thirteen of them had been in the sanatorium for periods varying from several months to several years before receiving the drug. To the other 23 it was given within two or three weeks after admission. The amount of exercise permitted them was based on the clinical requirements of the individual and was not altered because of the chemotherapy. In this way we felt that better conclusions could be drawn as to the effectiveness of the drug. Since Mineral Springs Sanatorium averages about 100 patients, it is obvious that no attempt could be made toward developing a similar series of patients as controls. We have attempted in this investigation to include a representative cross section of the pa-