Sulfacetimide: Toxicity and Efficacy in Gonorrhea and Urinary Tract Infections Preliminary Report

Abstract

The authors investigated the in vitro action of p-amino-benzene-sulfonyl-acetyl-imide (sulfacetimide) upon various microorganisms. Normal human urine, passed through Seitz fiters and adjusted to pH 5.5, was used as culture medium. Both bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects were detd. Staphylococcus aureus in urine was killed by sulfacetimide in a conc. of 357 mg.%; its growth was markedly inhibited by as little as 20 mg.%. This drug was markedry more effective than sulfanilamide, since there was little effect even at 240 mg.% level of the latter. Sulfacetimide at 357 mg.% killed [gamma] Streptococcus faecalis and at 80 mg.% inhibited its growth. At the 80 mg.% level sulfacetimide was more effective than sulfanilamide. Escherichia also was killed at a conc. of 357 mg.% of sulfacetimide. At the 80 and 40 mg.% levels the bacteriostatic action of sulfacetimide was> that of sulfanilamide. The effects on Aerobacter were similar. Sulfacetimide failed to kill Proteus, but at a conc. as low as 20 mg.% it exerted bacteriostatic activity. At the 40 mg.% level sulfacetimide was much more active than sulfanilamide toward this organism. No direct killing of Pseudomonas pyocyanea by sulfacetimide was observed, nor did this drug inhibit its growth when used in concs. of 80 and 40 mg.%. Gonococcus was inhibited by sulfacetimide in a conc. of 35.7 mg.% and above, but not at 12 mg.%. Sulfacetimide proved more effective than sulfanilamide. The authors also report clinical observations on absorption, toxicity and therapeutic effectiveness of sulfacetimide in man.