IN THE medical management of thrombophlebitis, reliance is placed almost completely on bed rest with elevation of the extremity, hot or cold applications, and anticoagulant therapy. Analgesics are frequently used to control pain and antibiotics to combat the chills and fever which sometimes dominate the clinical picture. The latter are of doubtful value, except in the rare case of purulent or septic phlebitis due to bacterial organisms.
These measures, when aided by the factor of time, will cause resolution of the thrombophlebitis in most instances in from one to four weeks.
There remains, however, a small but important group in whom, despite such therapy, the inflammation in the veins and adjacent tissues may remain active, resulting in considerable disability and economic loss. An agent capable of producing rapid and sustained improvement or subsidence of the phlebitis in these refractory cases would be valuable.
Phenylbutazone (Butazolidin) has been found to bring