Ultraviolet Radiation Energy Research Articles

THE DOSAGE OF ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION IN INFANTS WITH TETANY

ABSTRACT It is curious how little attention is paid to the subject of dosage in treatment with ultraviolet radiant energy. There is a widespread impression that, if excessive skin irritation is avoided, the greater the amount of ultraviolet radiation given, the better; yet numerous observations indicate that the effect is not proportional to the dosage and that an effect produced by a smaller dose may be reversed when a larger dose is given. Thus, Koenigsfeld1 has found that small doses of ultraviolet radiation lead to protein deposition while large doses lead to protein destruction. According to Gottschalk and Nonnenbruch,2 small amounts of ultraviolet radiation reduce the oxygen consumption of frog muscle, while large amounts increase it. Koopman3 has reported an increase in the complement activity of the serum calcium of guinea-pigs after short periods of irradiation, while after prolonged irradiation complement activity disappears and death invariably results. Pena

TETANY IN INFANTS

Numerous agents have been used in the treatment of infants with tetany. These may be divided into two groups: (1) substances which effect an immediate but transient rise in the serum calcium, for example, calcium chloride and parathyroid extract, and (2) those with a slower but more lasting effect, namely, ultraviolet radiant energy, irradiated cholesterol and irradiated ergosterol. It is our purpose in this paper to describe the effect of the second group of agents on the clinical manifestations and the serum calcium of infants with tetany. ULTRAVIOLET RADIANT ENERGY The curative effect of ultraviolet radiant energy on infants with tetany was first demonstrated by Huldschinsky 1 in 1920. Similar results were obtained by Sachs. 2 Hoag 3 and Casparis and Kramer 4 found that the clinical improvement following irradiation is accompanied by a rise in the calcium concentration of the serum from low tetanic values to normal. Kramer, Casparis