High dose, low frequency parenteral gold administration.

: A dosage plan of up to 200 mg of aurothioglucose at approximately 4-week intervals was tested. Moderate or major improvement occurred in 20 of the 30 patients entered. Mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate fell from 46 to 26 mm/h, mean grip strength rose from 99 to 179 mm Hg (best hand) and mean number of swollen joints declined from 10.9 to 3.3. Maximum improvement occurred at a mean cumulative dose of 649 mg and after an average of 18 weeks and 5 visits. These data suggest that more efficient strategies for gold administration can be devised.