Onyalai--therapeutic effects of vincristine sulphate. A prospective randomized trial.
Twenty out of 40 patients with onyalai admitted to Rundu State Hospital, Kavango, SWA/Namibia, were randomized to receive a vincristine sulphate bolus of 1.5 mg/m2 or an equivalent volume of normal saline intravenously on days 8 and 15 when haemorrhage or a platelet count of less than 50 X 10(9)/l persisted for more than 1 week after admission. All patients were observed in hospital for at least 21 days. Five out of 10 patients who received vincristine achieved a platelet count in excess of 100 X 10(9)/l on day 21 and only 2 out of 10 patients who received placebo achieved a similar rise in the platelet count. Two patients, neither of whom was treated with vincristine, died of cerebral haemorrhage.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011696:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011897:Random Allocation; D013997:Time Factors; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D014750:Vincristine