What is Drug not used in visceral leishmaniasis - and explain in detail?
Kala-azar responds to treatment better than other forms of visceral leishmaniasis. The standard treatment is the pentavalent antimonial sodium stibogluconate given intravenously 600 mg daily for 6 days. The aminoglycoside antibiotic aminosidine (paromomycin) is useful, given alone or with antimonials. The dose is 14 mg/kg body weight daily given IM or as slow IV infusion once daily for 3 to 4 weeks. An alternative is pentamidine 4 mg/kg/ day given IM for 10 days. If this also does not succeed, amphotericin 0.25 to 1 mg/kg/day may be given as slow infusion for upto 8 weeks. Meltefosine is an effective oral treatment. TEXTBOOK OF MEDICAL PARASITOLOGY,CKJ PANIKER,6TH EDITION,PAGE NO 61