Levamisole in the treatment of ascariasis in children.

Levamisole (the laevorotatory isomer of tetramisole) is a new synthetic anthelmintic. A cure rate of 91% was obtained in a series of 111 ascariasis-infected children treated with a single oral dose of the drug. The failures, who were treated with the drug a second time one week later, were all cured. In a comparative study of levamisole and piperazine citrate in a series of 100 children with ascariasis a cure rate of 92% and 90% was obtained with a single dose of levamisole and piperazine respectively, indicating equal efficacy. Levamisole is better tolerated than piperazine citrate and is virtually free of toxic effects.