Difetarsone in outpatient treatment of Trichuris trichiura infestation.

Dysentery due to infestation with the whipworm, Trichuris trichiura, is common among underprivileged children living in Cape Town. Chronic blood loss and a diet deficient in iron leads to profound anaemia and it is not unusual for young children with this infestation to present in cardiac failure. While temporary correction of anaemia and treatment ofiron deficiency are readily achieved, eradication of the worm from the colon (Fig.), whether by means of enema or drug therapy, has hitherto not been satisfactorily achieved. After the report by Lynch et al. (1972), a controlled study was undertaken of the effect of difetarsone on the Trichuris dysentery of outpatients who attended the Red Cross War Memorial Hospital. Findings are reported in this paper.