An Open, Controlled Study of Two Non-absorbable Antibiotics for the Oral Treatment of Paediatric Infectious Diarrhoea

Abstract

Forty-nine children in need of antibacterial treatment for a severe episode of bacterial diarrhoea were consecutively treated with either an oral paediatric suspension of rifaximin (100 mg every six hours for an average of four days: 24 patients), or paromomycin (125 mg every six hours for an average of four days: 25 patients). Stools (number and form), enteritis symptoms and signs, and intolerance manifestations were all monitored on each day of treatment. A stool culture was performed on the first available stool after enrolment and after the end of treatment to monitor the drugs' antibacterial activity. A similar rate of bacteriological cure, with normalisation of stools and elimination of the clinical symptomatology, was attained by the two antibiotics, with statistical significance of changes vs. baseline being apparent on the second treatment day, in both treatment groups. Rifaximin results were quicker (treatment lasted three days in several cases) and on the whole slightly better (though without statistical significance) than those of paromomycin: 21/24 vs. 20/25 children were completely cured, with a failure rate of three and five cases, respectively. Systemic and local tolerance of both treatments were very good in all children.

Rifaximin versus Ciprofloxacin for the Treatment of Traveler's Diarrhea: A Randomized, Double‐Blind Clinical Trial

“…We had insufficient numbers of patients who had isolates of Shigella, Salmonella, and Campylobacter species recovered to be certain of the value of rifaximin for diarrhea caused by these invasive pathogens. Rifaximin has been used in the therapy for bacterial diarrhea in children, against which it appears to be effective [24][25][26].…”

Enterotoxins, colonization factors, serotypes and antimicrobial resistance of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains isolated from hospitalized children with diarrhea in Bolivia

“…Therefore it is important to continue the surveillance of enteric bacterial pathogens for quinolone resistance. 35 Rifaximin is a non-absorbable antimicrobial agent which has been shown to be effective for treatment of severe episodes of bacterial diarrhea in children in developed countries, 36 and according to our results, resistance to ciprofloxacin is still uncommon in Bolivia.…”

Rifaximin—a novel antimicrobial for enteric infections

“…31,34,35 A pediatric suspension form of rifaximin has been produced for children and is available in some countries. The data establishing In the various clinical trials of rifaximin in adult travelers with diarrhea, the drug dosage employed has differed, ranging from 200 or 400 mg orally three times a day or 400 mg orally twice a day for 3 days.…”