title: Carnitine supplementation in diphtheria.
abstract: We studied the effect of carnitine supplementation in patients with diphtheria. Six hundred and twenty five children of diphtheria received either DL-carnitine (100 mg/kg/day in two divided doses orally for four days), or no carnitine, in addition to the routine treatment for diphtheria. The patients receiving carnitine (n = 327) and controls (n = 298) were matched for age, sex, duration of symptoms, grade of toxemia and immunization status. Patients receiving carnitine showed a significant reduction in incidence of myocarditis as compared to controls (p = 0.001). Cases with myocarditis receiving carnitine therapy showed a significant reduction in mortality as compared to controls (p < 0.001). In view of a significant decline in incidence and mortality of myocarditis in cases of diphtheria, we recommended that all cases with diphtheria should receive carnitine supplementation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barrucand
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pimentel
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Pires
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002331:Carnitine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D002331:Carnitine