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What is Aurothioglucose
NOTE: This drug is discontinued in the US.
Aurothioglucose is an intramuscular dosage form of gold.
Aurothioglucose is an antiarthritic agent that is used for the adjunctive treatment of early active cases of adult and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
The drug is less effective against advanced, chronic cases of rheumatoid arthritis, and it typically is employed only when salicylates or other NSAIDs do not provide satisfactory relief.
Rheumatoid arthritis originally was believed to be caused by an infectious agent, and, because gold exhibited antimicrobial activity, attempts to treat this disease with gold compounds were initiated in the late 1920s.
Somewhat favorable results were obtained (although probably not due to the drug’s antimicrobial properties), and the efficacy of gold preparations in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis was established in 1961.
Indications
- rheumatoid arthritis
Side Effects
- agranulocytosis
- aplastic anemia
- azotemia
- bullous rash
- conjunctivitis
- corneal deposits
- diaphoresis
- dizziness
- erythema nodosum
- exfoliative dermatitis
- flushing
- glomerulonephritis
- interstitial nephritis
- leukopenia
- maculopapular rash
- nausea
- neutropenia
- pancytopenia
- proteinuria
- pruritus
- skin discoloration
- stomatitis
- thrombocytopenia
- tracheitis
- urticaria
- vaginitis
- vomiting
Monitoring Parameters
- CBC
- LFTs
- urinalysis
Contraindications
- agranulocytosis
- anemia
- bleeding
- bone marrow suppression
- breast-feeding
- exfoliative dermatitis
- heart failure
- hepatic disease
- hypertension
- inflammatory bowel disease
- intramuscular injections
- pregnancy
- pulmonary fibrosis
- radiation therapy
- renal disease
- Sjogren’s syndrome
- systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
Interactions
No information is available regarding drug interactions associated with Aurothioglucose
