The safe use of dimethyl sulfoxide in the laboratory

Dimethyl sulfoxide is being increasingly utilized in medical laboratories and in experimental clinical situations. The drug must be considered dangerous since there has been one reported case of fatal allergic reaction and numerous reports of liver damage following exposure to dimethyl sulfoxide. Caution must be exercised in the handling of the drug as it can aid the entry of other drugs into the human body. Although dimethyl sulfoxide is not highly flammable, normal safety precautions used with any flammable solvent are the minimal requirements for safe use of this drug.