EFFECT OF LARGE DOSES OF AUREOMYCIN ON HUMAN LIVER

Abstract

AUREOMYCIN k and has exhibited a minimum of toxic reactions.¹ The reports of toxicity have been limited almost exclusively to gastrointestinal symptoms after oral medication and chemical thrombophlebitis after intravenous administration. Rarely, chills, malaise, nausea, dizziness, and lower-back pain have been observed in patients during and immediately after rapid intravenous injections.² Local pain has accompanied intramuscular or subcutaneous administration. An occasional allergic-type reaction has also been reported.³ We have administered aureomycin⁴ intravenously to a number of seriously ill patients. Because of the severity of their illnesses, they were given large intravenous doses of aureomycin, occasionally for a long period and, in many cases, oral doses of aureomycin in addition. The great majority of the patients who received aureomycin intravenously showed no evidence of toxic or side reactions other than those mentioned above. A few patients, however, who were given what we now consider to be