THE INTRAVENOUS USE OF SODIUM SULFAPYRIDINE

The very slight solubility of sulfapyridine (2-[paminobenzene sulfonamide] pyridine) in water renders parenteral administration of this drug difficult when a route other than oral administration is desired. The poorer and more erratic absorption from the gastrointestinal tract of sulfapyridine as compared to sulfanilamide¹ necessitates its parenteral use in certain cases if high blood concentrations are to be attained. Sulfanilamide is sufficiently soluble to allow the use of subcutaneous administration of a saturated solution in physiologic solution of sodium chloride but in the case of sulfapyridine several liters of fluid would have to be given. Whitby² has suggested the injection of an oil suspension of sulfapyridine intramuscularly. There are objections to this procedure and even possible dangers.³ The very soluble sodium salt of sulfapyridine recently described and studied by Marshall, Bratton and Litchfield¹ would appear to offer a means of parenteral administration of the drug.

Since a solution of sodium sulfapyridine is strongly alkaline (P_H 10.4 to 11.0), the only possible route of parenteral administration is the intravenous one. The P_H of such a solution is some what higher than that of a sodium salt of a barbiturate⁴ and lower than that of alkalinized arsphenamine,⁵ but the total amount of alkali given at a dose would be greatest in the case of sodium sulfapyridine. With the experience of intravenous