Abstract

A total of 100 hookworm infested patients were divided into two groups. One group of 49 received pyrantel embonate in a single oral dose of 10 mg as the base per kg body weight and the other group of 51 a single oral dose of 5.0 gm bephenium hydroxynaphthoate for a comparison of efficacy on hookworm infestation and other intestinal helminths. Forty-two(85.7%) cases of hookworm treated with pyrantel embonate were cured and there was a 99.9 per cent mean reduction in fecal egg count. Of the 51 patients who received bephenium hydroxynaphthoate complete cure occurred in 76.5 per cent and the mean reduction in fecal egg count was 91.8 per cent. These results plus the lower incidence of side effects recorded in the pyrnatel group suggest that pyrantel embonate is the more desirable trestment. Pyrantel embonate was highly effective against Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichostrongylus orientalis and both drugs were moderately effective against Trichuris trichiura. During the course of the study measurements of hematology, biochemistry and examinations of urine specimens were carried out. All values were normal throughout the study and no significant difference was observed between pyrantel embonate and bephenium hydroxynaphthoate treated subjects. Side effects were more common in the bephenium hydroxynaphthoate treated group.