Treatment Of Acute Watery Diarrhea Research Articles

Clinical Efficacy of Use of Probiotics in Children with Acute Watery Diarrhea

watery diarrhea in children aged 6 months to 5 years, at H.H Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Hospital/Combined Military Hospital, Muzaffarabad. Methodology: The Randomized Controlled Trial was done at Pediatric department, H.H Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Hospital/CMH, Muzaffarabad from January 2020 to December 2021. All patients aged 6 months to 5 years with acute watery diarrhea who present with severe, minimal, or no dehydration within the first five days of illness were included. Children meeting the inclusion criteria were consecutively enrolled and randomly assigned to either the study group (ORS plus oral administration of Saccharomyces Boulardii) or the control group (ORS alone). From day 1 to day 5, the quantity and consistency of feces were counted. On day 5, clinical effectiveness was indicated by 3 stools or fewer per day. SPSS version 26 was used for data analysis. Results: Of 252 patients, a significant mean difference of number of stools and consistency was observed on day 3, day 4, and day 5 (p:<0.005). A significant association of efficacy was observed with probiotic group (p: 0.021). After adjustment for other covariates, efficacy was 2.37 times higher among children who were in probiotic group as compared to control group (OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.07-5.24, p: 0.033). The efficacy was 3.23 times higher among children with age ?3 years than children with age >3 years (aOR 3.23, 95% CI 1.32-7.91, p: 0.010). The efficacy was 94% lower among children without dehydration (aOR 0.06, 95% CI 0.01-0.52, p: 0.011) and 91% lower among children with some dehydration (aOR: 0.09, 95% CI 0.01-0.77, p: 0.028). Conclusion: The efficacy of probiotics was observed to be higher in treatment of acute watery diarrhea in hospitalized children. Probiotics, when used as an adjunct to standard therapy, may be beneficial in reducing the severity and duration of diarrhea, potentially leading to improved clinical outcomes.

Prescription of medicines for the management of childhood acute watery diarrhoea at a tertiary hospital in Ebonyi state, Nigeria

Background: The burden of childhood diarrhoea in Nigeria is huge and has been persistently high over the years with an estimated 205 under-fifives dying daily. Asimple combination of oral rehydration salts (ORS) and zinc tablets (ORS/Zinc) has been approved for its treatment by the WHO since it is benefificial for rehydration which is the goal of therapy. However, huge resources are spent on antibiotics and other medications which are not benefificial for rehydration, thereby exposing children to unnecessary medications and other drug therapy problems. This study was set to evaluate the prescription of medicines for acute watery diarrhea (AWD) in under-fifive children and to determine the appropriateness of these prescriptions. Method: This study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. It was a retrospective review of prescriptions of medicines for AWD in under-fifives for a period of 28 months (January 2019 to April 2021). All available cases of AWD (338) were extracted from the prescription registers. Data were entered into SPSS version 24.0 and descriptive analysis was done. The guideline set by WHO for the management of AWD was followed for evaluating the prescriptions. Results: Out of the 338 cases of AWD, 190 (56.2%) occurred in male children and 265 (84.4%) in children under 24 months. Of the total cases, 291 (86.1%) received prescriptions containing ORS, zinc, and probiotics either alone or in difffferent combinations with only 154 (45.6%) containing ORS and zinc together. Of these prescriptions with ORS/Zinc, 47 (30.5%) also contained antibiotics, antimalarials and infusions. In total, there were 99(29.3%) and 48 (14.2%) prescriptions containing antibiotics and antimalarials respectively. The most frequently prescribed antibiotic classes were sulfonamides (41; 40.6%), cephalosporins (29; 28.7%) and flfluoroquinolones (13; 12.9%). Less prescribed antibiotic classes include macrolides, penicillins and nitroimidazoles. Other groups of medicines prescribed were analgesics, anthelmintics, oral potassium and antacids, and antihistamines. Overall, only 107 (36.8%) prescriptions were appropriate for the management of AWD. Conclusion: This study revealed that only 36.8% of AWD cases received appropriate prescriptions according to guideline. Therefore, there is urgent need for intervention in the study setting to improve appropriate treatment of AWD.

A retrospective review on antibiotic use in acute watery diarrhea in children in a tertiary care hospital of Karachi, Pakistan.

Responsible for at least one in nine pediatric deaths, diarrheal diseases are the leading, global cause of death. Further abetted by improper antibiotic use in a hospital setting, children with acute watery diarrhea can see prolonged hospital stays, and unwanted adverse effects such as antibiotic resistance. Hence, this study is aimed to identify the association between antibiotic usage for the treatment of acute watery diarrhea in children, and the impact this line of management has on the duration of their hospital stay. A retrospective review was conducted at the department of Pediatric of Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) in Karachi. A total of 305 records of children aged 6 months to 5 years who were admitted with a diagnosis of acute watery diarrhea from June 2017 -December 2018 was screened, of which 175 fulfilled the eligibility criteria. A predesigned questionnaire was used to collect demographic information, comorbidities, and clinical features, severity of dehydration, clinical examination, treatment received, and laboratory investigations. The primary outcome of this study was the length of hospital stay measured against the number of hours a child stayed in hospital for treatment of acute watery diarrhea. The statistical analysis was carried out using STATA version 14 to reach conclusive results. 175 patients presented with acute watery diarrhea, out of which 106 (60.6%) did not receive antibiotics. The median (IQR) age of the group that did not receive antibiotics was 12.0 (12.0) months compared to 15.0 (12.0) months for the group that did receive antibiotics. In both groups, there were more males than females, less than 15% of the patients were severely malnourished (WHZ score -3SD) and less than 10% of the patients were severely dehydrated. The median (IQR) length of hospital stay (hours) was 32.0 (19.0) respectively for the group that did not receive antibiotic and 41.0 (32.0) for the group that did receive antibiotic therapy. The expected length of hospital stay for the group that received antibiotic therapy was 0.22 hours higher than the group that did not. Finally, as compared to females, hospital stay for males was longer by 0.25 hours. In conclusion, antibiotic use was associated with a prolonged hospital stay in children with acute watery diarrhea as compared to children who did not receive antibiotics. Large scale robust prospective studies are needed to establish this association using this observational data.

767. Identification and Management of Diarrhea in Children Under Five in Bamako, Mali

BackgroundDiarrhea is a leading cause of death for Children Under Five Years Old (CUFYO) worldwide, and Mali has the second highest diarrhea-related case fatality rate among African countries. The World Health Organization’s Integrated Management for Childhood Illness (IMCI) handbook provides recommendations for management of acute watery diarrhea (AWD), including: increased fluids, continued feeding, and zinc supplementation. It restricts antibiotics to dysentery. The 2018 Malian Demographic and Health Survey noted low rates of rehydration and zinc use. This study aimed to evaluate how provider knowledge, beliefs, and practices (KBPs) align with IMCI recommendations for diagnosis and management of diarrhea in Mali.MethodsThis qualitative cross-sectional study interviewed 136 providers who manage diarrhea in CUFYO in Bamako, Mali from July - August 2017. Providers included: doctors (D), pharmacists (P), market vendors of allopathic medications (MV), traditional healers (TH), and vendors of traditional medicines (TV). Participants were randomly selected and presented with scenarios depicting diarrheal syndromes. They provided a diagnosis, etiology of illness, and management recommendations. Providers were surveyed on KBPs regarding IMCI recommendations.ResultsOnly 43% of providers provided the IMCI definition of AWD. Participant-IMCI concordant diagnosis varied by provider group for AWD (D-73%, P-67%, MV-31%, TH-18%, TV-40%), Dysentery (D-38%, P-75%, MV-38%, TH-61%, TV-40%), and Some Dehydration (D-31%, P-4%, MV-4%, TH-7%, TV-40%). Only 41% of all providers identified dehydration as a sequela of AWD; 18% noted mortality. Etiologies of AWD cited included: infection, teething, diet, hygiene, and many others. Participants volunteered treatment of AWD with fluids (D-52%, P-8%, MV-0%, TH-0%, TV-0%), but not zinc (0%). MK alone offered inappropriate use of antibiotics for AWD (23%).ConclusionProvider identification and management of diarrheal syndromes in CUFYO remain largely inconsistent with IMCI recommendations across all sectors of providers interviewed, specifically for rehydration therapy and zinc supplementation.Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

A combination of three probiotic strains for treatment of acute diarrhoea in hospitalised children: an open label, randomised controlled trial.

Acute diarrhoea continues to be a leading cause of morbidity, hospitalisation, and mortality worldwide, and probiotics have been proposed as a complementary therapy in the treatment of acute diarrhoea. The goal of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of three combined probiotic strains, Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07, Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001, and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, as an adjunct to rehydration therapy in treatment of acute watery diarrhoea in hospitalised children. Eligible diarrheal children were randomised into intervention group (IG, n=96, conventional treatment for diarrhoea in combination with probiotics) and control group (CG, n=98, conventional treatment for diarrhoea without probiotics). The primary assessments of this study were duration of diarrhoea and hospital stay and improvement in diarrhoea symptoms. Significantly more children in the IG showed improvements in diarrhoea (defined as a decrease of stool frequency to no more than four times per day and an improved stool consistency within 24-48 h after the treatment) than those in the CG (96.9 vs 79.6%, P<0.05). Children supplemented with the mixed strains had a 22.5 h shorter (121.4±13.7 h vs 143.9±19.8 h) mean duration of diarrhoea and 1.2 d shorter hospital stays (5.1±1.2 d vs 6.3±1.4 d) than children only receiving the rehydration therapy (P<0.05). The prevalence of constipation of children in the IG (3.1%) was markedly lower (P<0.05) than that of children in the CG (13.3%) after treatment. In conclusion, the mixture of three probiotic strains given to children aged 1-3 years resulted in shorter durations of diarrhoea and hospitalisation and a higher percentage of improved children.

A double-blind placebo-controlled trial of azithromycin to reduce mortality and improve growth in high-risk young children with non-bloody diarrhoea in low resource settings: the Antibiotics for Children with Diarrhoea (ABCD) trial protocol

BackgroundAcute diarrhoea is a common cause of illness and death among children in low- to middle-income settings. World Health Organization guidelines for the clinical management of acute watery diarrhoea in children focus on oral rehydration, supplemental zinc and feeding advice. Routine use of antibiotics is not recommended except when diarrhoea is bloody or cholera is suspected. Young children who are undernourished or have a dehydrating diarrhoea are more susceptible to death at 90 days after onset of diarrhoea. Given the mortality risk associated with diarrhoea in children with malnutrition or dehydrating diarrhoea, expanding the use of antibiotics for this subset of children could be an important intervention to reduce diarrhoea-associated mortality and morbidity. We designed the Antibiotics for Childhood Diarrhoea (ABCD) trial to test this intervention.MethodsABCD is a double-blind, randomised trial recruiting 11,500 children aged 2–23 months presenting with acute non-bloody diarrhoea who are dehydrated and/or undernourished (i.e. have a high risk for mortality). Enrolled children in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Pakistan and Tanzania are randomised (1:1) to oral azithromycin 10 mg/kg or placebo once daily for 3 days and followed-up for 180 days. Primary efficacy endpoints are all-cause mortality during the 180 days post-enrolment and change in linear growth 90 days post-enrolment.DiscussionExpanding the treatment of acute watery diarrhoea in high-risk children to include an antibiotic may offer an opportunity to reduce deaths. These benefits may result from direct antimicrobial effects on pathogens or other incompletely understood mechanisms including improved nutrition, alterations in immune responsiveness or improved enteric function. The expansion of indications for antibiotic use raises concerns about the emergence of antimicrobial resistance both within treated children and the communities in which they live. ABCD will monitor antimicrobial resistance. The ABCD trial has important policy implications. If the trial shows significant benefits of azithromycin use, this may provide evidence to support reconsideration of antibiotic indications in the present World Health Organization diarrhoea management guidelines. Conversely, if there is no evidence of benefit, these results will support the current avoidance of antibiotics except in dysentery or cholera, thereby avoiding inappropriate use of antibiotics and reaffirming the current guidelines.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov, NCT03130114. Registered on April 26 2017.

Oral Rehydration in Children with Acute Diarrhoea and Moderate Dehydration-Effectiveness of an ORS Tolerance Test.

Oral rehydration solution (ORS) is the mainstay of treatment of acute watery diarrhoea, but it is underutilized in many hospitals, resulting in children with moderate degrees of dehydration being unnecessarily hospitalized and receiving intravenous fluids. We aimed to assess the utility of an ORS tolerance test on initial presentation to an emergency department, and determine the volume of ORS a child with diarrhoea and moderate dehydration needed to tolerate to be successfully managed at home. One hundred and twenty-nine children with acute watery diarrhoea and moderate dehydration were given ORS and observed in a Children's Emergency Department (CED) over a period of 2-4 h. Patients were admitted, kept in the CED for further management or discharged, based on the assessment of oral intake and the clinical judgement of the treating health workers. Seventy-nine (61.2%) patients tolerated ORS well. They drank a median [interquartile range (IQR)] of 24.4 ml (IQR 12.5-28.8) ml/kg, were judged to have passed the ORS test and were discharged to continue oral rehydration treatment at home. At follow-up on days 2 and 5, 63/79 (79.7%) children had improved, were adequately hydrated and the diarrhoea had reduced. Sixteen of the 79 (20.3%) failed oral home treatment, with persisting diarrhoea, vomiting, hypokalaemia and/or weakness. The 63 who succeeded had tolerated a median of 25.8 (IQR 18.4-30.0) ml/kg of ORS in the CED, whilst the 16 who failed oral home treatment had tolerated 11.1 (IQR 9.1-23.0) ml/kg ORS (p < 0.001).

Efficacy of probiotics in acute diarrhoea in children

Background: Gastroenteritis is a major public health problem worldwide and remains the second leading cause of death among children under five globally. Objective of this study was to investigate and compare the efficacy of commonly available probiotics in the treatment of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) in children.Methods: This was an open label randomised controlled trial conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Bangalore for 2 years. 120 children aged 6 months to 5 years admitted with AWD of less than or equal to 48 hours duration were randomized into three groups – Group I (control) received oral rehydration therapy and zinc, Group II received Bacillus clausii in a dose of 2 billion spores twice a day and Group III received Saccharomyces boulardii as 250 mg twice a day. The primary outcome measures were total duration of diarrhoea, mean number of stools per day, consistency of stools and secondary outcome measures were duration of vomiting, fever and hospital stay. ANOVA, Student t test, Mann Whitney U test and Chi square test were used for analysis.Results: The duration of diarrhoea and hospital stay significantly reduced (41.68 hrs) in Group III compared to Group I (57.65 hrs) and Group II (53.33 hrs). (p&lt; 0.05). The frequency of stools reduced significantly on Day 4 and the consistency of stools improved significantly on Day 3 in both the probiotic groups (p&lt;0.05). Both the probiotics reduced the duration of fever significantly but had no effect on the duration of vomiting.Conclusions: Saccharomyces boulardii is effective in reducing the duration of diarrhea and hospital stay in children with acute gastroenteritis.

A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial of Lactobacillus acidophilus for the Treatment of Acute Watery Diarrhea in Vietnamese Children.

Probiotics are the most frequently prescribed treatment for children hospitalized with diarrhea in Vietnam. We were uncertain of the benefits of probiotics for the treatment of acute watery diarrhea in Vietnamese children. We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of children hospitalized with acute watery diarrhea in Vietnam. Children meeting the inclusion criteria (acute watery diarrhea) were randomized to receive either 2 daily oral doses of 2 × 10 CFUs of a local probiotic containing Lactobacillus acidophilus or placebo for 5 days as an adjunct to standard of care. The primary end point was time from the first dose of study medication to the start of the first 24-hour period without diarrhea. Secondary outcomes included the total duration of diarrhea and hospitalization, daily stool frequency, treatment failure, daily fecal concentrations of rotavirus and norovirus, and Lactobacillus colonization. One hundred and fifty children were randomized into each study group. The median time from the first dose of study medication to the start of the first 24-hour diarrhea-free period was 43 hours (interquartile range, 15-66 hours) in the placebo group and 35 hours (interquartile range, 20-68 hours) in the probiotic group (acceleration factor 1.09 [95% confidence interval, 0.78-1.51]; P = 0.62). There was also no evidence that probiotic treatment was efficacious in any of the predefined subgroups nor significantly associated with any secondary end point. This was a large double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which the probiotic underwent longitudinal quality control. We found under these conditions that L. acidophilus was not beneficial in treating children with acute watery diarrhea.

Antibiotic Therapy for Acute Watery Diarrhea and Dysentery.

Diarrheal disease affects a large proportion of military personnel deployed to developing countries, resulting in decreased job performance and operational readiness. Travelers' diarrhea is self-limiting and generally resolves within 5 days; however, antibiotic treatment significantly reduces symptom severity and duration of illness. Presently, azithromycin is the preferred first-line antibiotic for the treatment of acute watery diarrhea (single dose 500 mg), as well as for febrile diarrhea and dysentery (single dose 1,000 mg). Levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin are also options for acute watery diarrhea (single dose 500 mg and 750 mg, respectively) and febrile diarrhea/dysentery in areas with high rates of Shigella (500 mg once for 3 days [once daily with levofloxacin and twice daily with ciprofloxacin]), but are becoming less effective because of increasing fluoroquinolone resistance, particularly among Campylobacter spp. Another alternate for acute watery diarrhea is rifaximin (200 mg 3 times per day for 3 days); however, it should not be used with invasive illness. Use of loperamide in combination with antibiotic treatment is also beneficial as it has been shown to further reduce gastrointestinal symptoms and duration of illness. Because of regional differences in the predominance of pathogens and resistance levels, choice of antibiotic should take travel destination into consideration.

Management of Acute Diarrheal Illness During Deployment: A Deployment Health Guideline and Expert Panel Report.

Acute diarrheal illness during deployment causes significant morbidity and loss of duty days. Effective and timely treatment is needed to reduce individual, unit, and health system performance impacts. This critical appraisal of the literature, as part of the development of expert consensus guidelines, asked several key questions related to self-care and healthcare-seeking behavior, antibiotics for self-treatment of travelers' diarrhea, what antibiotics/regimens should be considered for treatment of acute watery diarrhea and febrile diarrhea and/or dysentery, and when and what laboratory diagnostics should be used to support management of deployment-related travelers' diarrhea. Studies of acute diarrhea management in military and other travelers were assessed for relevance and quality. On the basis of this critical appraisal, guideline recommendations were developed and graded by the Expert Panel using good standards in clinical guideline development methodology. New definitions for defining the severity of diarrhea during deployment were established. A total of 13 graded recommendations on the topics of prophylaxis, therapy and diagnosis, and follow-up were developed. In addition, four non-graded consensus-based statements were adopted. Successful management of acute diarrheal illness during deployment requires action at the provider, population, and commander levels. Strong evidence supports that single-dose antimicrobial therapy is effective in most cases of moderate to severe acute diarrheal illness during deployment. Further studies are needed to address gaps in available knowledge regarding optimal therapies for treatment, prevention, and laboratory testing of acute diarrheal illness.

Comparison of Regular and Probiotic Yogurts in Treatment of Acute Watery Diarrhea in Children

Diarrhea is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children under five years of age, especially in developing countries. Due to dehydration and imbalance of water and electrolytes in the body. There is a need to introduce alternative ways for management of this common health problem. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of regular and probiotic yogurt on duration and frequency of diarrhea in children aged one to five with acute watery diarrhea. Ninety patients were randomly assigned to three groups, two intervention groups, including regular and probiotic yogurt groups, and a control group. In the regular yogurt group, the first significant decrease in frequency of diarrhea was 2.15 ± 0.61 days and in the probiotic group was 2.65 ± 0.72 days after admission to the hospital.

Use of Drugs and Treatment Cost in Acute Watery Diarrhoea of Under-2 Children Attending a Tertiary Hospital of Bogra

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Mohammad Ali hospital (MAH) of Bogra from Bangladesh to evaluate the hand washing and exclusive breast feeding (EBF) practice and to explore the rational use of anti-diarrhoeal therapy in Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) and expenditure of the family in treatment. A total of 660 under-2 children attending at MAH with the complaints of AWD were selected for the study. The mean age (mean±SD) of the attended child was 11.75±5.16 months. About 80% of the respondents (mothers of under-2 child) were below SSC level in terms of educational status while about 9% were illiterate. About 85% of the respondent seek treatment from non-registered practitioners (NRP) while registered doctors contributed only among 12% which was found statistically significant in comparison to their family income (p&lt;0.001). Azythromycin was the most prescribed drugs (22.4%) followed by ciprofloxacin (21.7%) and erythromycin (15.9%) which was mostly prescribed by non-registered doctors (p &lt;0.05). The families had to spend a mean cost of Tk. 209/- which was spend significantly high on NRP (p&lt;0.05) as a direct treatment cost. Misuse of antibiotics was observed from NRP and a handsome amount was spending on them. Moreover, About 91% of the total respondent did not practice exclusive breast feeding and about 99% mother found to admit improper hand hygiene. To reduce unnecessary expenditure and ensure proper treatment of AWD, it was recommended to aware the community on quality management at government facility.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jom.v14i2.19665 J Medicine 2013, 14(2): 143-148

An oral preparation of Lactobacillus acidophilus for the treatment of uncomplicated acute watery diarrhoea in Vietnamese children: study protocol for a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

BackgroundDiarrhoeal disease is a major global health problem, particularly affecting children under the age of 5 years. Besides oral rehydration solution, probiotics are also commonly prescribed to children with acute watery diarrhoea in some settings. Results from randomised clinical trials (RCTs) in which investigators studied the effect of probiotics on diarrhoeal symptoms have largely shown a positive effect; yet, the overall quality of the data is limited. In Vietnam, probiotics are the most frequently prescribed treatment for children hospitalised with acute watery diarrhoea, but there is little justification for this treatment in this location. We have designed a RCT to test the hypothesis that an oral preparation of Lactobacillus acidophilus is superior to placebo in the treatment of acute watery diarrhoea in Vietnamese children.MethodsThis RCT was designed to study the effect of treatment with L. acidophilus (4 × 109 colony-forming units/day) for 5 days for acute watery diarrhoea against a placebo in 300 children ages 9 to 60 months admitted to hospitals in Vietnam. Clinical and laboratory data plus samples will be collected on admission, daily during hospitalisation, at discharge, and at follow-up visits for a subset of participants. The primary end point will be defined as the time from the first dose of study medication to the start of the first 24-hour period without diarrhoea as assessed by the on-duty nurse. Secondary endpoints include the time to cessation of diarrhoea as recorded by parents or guardians in an hourly checklist, stool frequency over the first 3 days, treatment failure, rotavirus and norovirus viral loads, and adverse events.DiscussionThe existing evidence for the use of probiotics in treating acute watery diarrhoea seems to favour their use. However, the size of the effect varies across publications. An array of different probiotic organisms, doses, treatment durations, study populations, designs, settings, and aetiologies have been described. In this trial, we will investigate whether probiotics are beneficial as an adjuvant treatment for children with acute watery diarrhoea in Vietnam, with the aim of guiding clinical practice through improved regional evidence.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN88101063

Effect of Zinc supplementation on the Management of Acute Diarrhoea in Young Children in Jos, Nigeria: A Double-Blind Randomised Placebo Controlled Clinical Trial.

Diarrhoea is second only to malaria as a cause of death in under five children in Nigeria. Episodes of acute diarrhoea tend to resolve within a few days in healthy children but persist longer in children with malnutrition, impaired cellular immunity and recurrent diarrhoea. Diarrhoea is very common in severe zinc deficient children and has been reported to respond to zinc supplementation as an adjunct to the combined use of oral rehydration therapy and early continued feeding. We study the effect of Zinc supplementation on the severity, duration and recurrence of acute diarrhoea in children in a hospital-based randomized placebo controlled clinical trial at JUTH in Jos. Seventy children 2-24 months of age who were reported to have passed at least 3 or more unformed stools in the previous 24 hours and have had diarrhoea for 7 days or less were randomized to receive Zinc (20mg/day n= 35) or placebo (n= 35) for 14 days. Each patient also had the low osmolar UNICEF-ORS at 75mls/kg. and the child's usual feeds. Weekly follow-up visits were conducted for 12 weeks after the diarrhea episode. Incidence and prevalence of diarrhea were compared between the groups. Neither the attending clinician nor the patient nor the data analyst was aware of who was on the Zinc or the Placebo. 57 children completed 14 days zinc supplementation, however only 54 children completed the three months post zinc supplementation follow-up. Zinc reduces the average number of watery stools by 37% and the mean duration of diarrhea by 39%. zxeZinc supplementation significantly reduced the risk of recurrence of acute diarrhoea by 38%. Supplementing the treatment of acute watery diarrhea with Zinc in just 2 cases will prevent recurrence of diarrhea in one of the children in the following 12 weeks. Fourteen days supplementation of Zinc in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children significantly reduced the average number of watery stools and duration of acute diarrhea. It also reduces the recurrence of diarrhea within three months of completion of supplementation. Zinc supplementation of acute diarrhea management in just two children will prevent diarrhea recurrence in the next three months in at least one child. Keywords : Acute watery Diarrhoea in Children; Zinc supplementation

Evaluating the cost utility of racecadotril for the treatment of acute watery diarrhea in children: the RAWD model.

BackgroundThe safety and efficacy of racecadotril to treat acute watery diarrhea (AWD) in children is well established, however its cost effectiveness for infants and children in Europe has not yet been determined.ObjectiveTo evaluate the cost utility of racecadotril adjuvant with oral rehydration solution (ORS) compared to ORS alone for the treatment of AWD in children younger than 5 years old. The analysis is performed from a United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) perspective.MethodsA decision tree model has been developed in Microsoft® Excel. The model is populated with the best available evidence. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSA) have been performed. Health effects are measured as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and the model output is cost (2011 GBP) per QALY. The uncertainty in the primary outcome is explored by probabilistic analysis using 1000 iterations of a Monte Carlo simulation.ResultsDeterministic analysis results in a total incremental cost of −£379 in favor of racecadotril and a total incremental QALY gain in favor of racecadotril of +0.0008. The observed cost savings with racecadotril arise from the reduction in primary care reconsultation and secondary referral. The difference in QALYs is largely attributable to the timely resolution of symptoms in the racecadotril arm. Racecadotril remains dominant when base case parameters are varied. Monte Carlo simulation and PSA confirm that racecadotril is the dominant treatment strategy and is almost certainly cost effective, under the central assumptions of the model, at a commonly used willingness to pay proxy threshold range of £20,000–£30,000 per QALY.ConclusionRacecadotril as adjuvant therapy is more effective and less costly compared to ORS alone, from a UK payer perspective, for the treatment of children with acute diarrhea.

Probiotics for Prevention and Treatment of Diarrhea

Probiotics have been extensively studied over the past several years in the prevention and, to a larger extent, in the treatment of diarrheal diseases, especially in pediatric populations. Diarrhea is a symptom, and not a disease. This review will not address chronic disorders associated with diarrhea, or Clostridium difficile-induced diarrhea. Rather it will focus on published clinical trials performed on acute-onset, likely infectious diarrhea occurring in the settings of day-care centers, in the community, acquired in the hospital, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and treatment of acute infectious diarrhea. For prevention of diarrhea acquired in day-care centers, 9 randomized and placebo-controlled trials have been published, conducted in different parts of the world. Probiotics tested were Lactobacillus GG, Bifidobacterium lactis (alone or in combination with Streptococcus thermophilus, and Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus rhamnosus (not GG), and Lactobacillus acidophilus, in various trials either alone or in comparison with each other. The evidence of their efficacy in these settings is only modest for the prevention of diarrhea, although somewhat better for prevention of upper respiratory infections. In the community, new trails conducted in underprivileged areas of India, again with modest efficacy. Previous trials that examined the potential role of probiotics in preventing the spreading of diarrhea in hospitalized children had yielded conflicting results. More recently, a large trial in Poland showed, however, rather good evidence of efficacy for Lactobacillus GG. The prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea has been the subject of many investigations, both in children and in adults. Most commonly used probiotics were Lactobacillus GG, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium ssp, Streptococcus ssp, and the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii. In general, most of these trials do show clear evidence of efficacy, with the 2 most effective strains being Lactobacillus GG and S. boulardii. Evidence is also emerging on the importance of the dose in reducing the incidence of this type of diarrhea, and the incidence of Clostridium difficile-associated postantibiotic diarrhea. As for treatment, a large body of data is available, especially in children, on the effect of several strains of probiotics in treating sporadic infectious diarrhea. The vast majority of the published trials show a statistically significant benefit and moderate clinical benefit of a few, well-identified probiotic strains-mostly Lactobacillus GG and S. boulardii-in the treatment of acute watery diarrhea, and particularly those due to rotavirus. Such a beneficial effect results, on average, in a reduction of diarrhea duration of approximately 1 day. The effect is strain-dependent and dose-dependent.

Efficacy of Dioctahedral Smectite in Acute Watery Diarrhea in Indian Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial

To determine the effects and safety of dioctahedral smectite (DS) on the duration of acute watery diarrhea in children. A Randomized, open labeled, clinical controlled trial in a tertiary care hospital outpatient department (OPD) and emergency department. Participants were one hundred and seventeen children without any chronic illness between 2 and 5 years presenting to OPD, having acute watery diarrhea for <48 h with mild to moderate dehydration, not on antibiotics and requiring oral rehydration therapy. Intervention done was DS with a dose of 1.5 g thrice daily. Freshly dissolved DS in a dose of 1.5 g thrice daily for 5 days significantly shortened the duration of acute watery diarrhea in children aged 2-5 years. There were no adverse effects on the use of DS. DS was acceptable to the children, and its administration was not accompanied with any side effects. DS reduces the duration of diarrhea in Indian children and prevents a prolonged course, and therefore, may consistently reduce the costs in treatment of acute watery diarrhea.

Efficacy of Diosmectite (Smecta)®in the Treatment of Acute Watery Diarrhoea in Adults: A Multicentre, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Group Study

Background. Although diosmectite has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of acute watery diarrhoea in children, its efficacy in adults still needs to be assessed. The objective of this study was therefore to assess the efficacy of diosmectite on the time to recovery in adults with acute diarrhoea. Methods. A total of 346 adults with at least three watery stools per day over a period of less than 48 hours were prospectively randomized to diosmectite (6 g tid) or placebo during four days. The primary endpoint was time to diarrhoea recovery. Results. In the intention-to-treat population, median time to recovery was 53.8 hours (range [3.7–167.3]) with diosmectite (n = 166) versus 69.0 hours [2.2–165.2] with placebo, (n = 163; P = .029), which corresponds to a difference of 15.2 hours. Diosmectite was well tolerated. Conclusion. Diosmectite at 6 g tid was well tolerated and reduced the time to recovery of acute watery diarrhoea episode in a clinically relevant manner.

Probiotics for Children With Diarrhea

This review focuses on the efficacy of probiotics for diarrhea in children in different settings: day-care centers, diarrhea acquired in the hospital, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and treatment of acute infectious diarrhea. For prevention of diarrhea acquired in day-care centers, 5 randomized and placebo-controlled trials have been published. Probiotics tested were Lactobacillus GG, Bifidobacterium lactis (alone or in combination with Streptococcus thermophilus), and Lactobacillus reuteri. The evidence of their efficacy in these settings is only modest: statistically significant for some strains only and in any case of minimal to mild clinical importance. Few trials have examined the potential role of probiotics in preventing the spread of diarrhea in hospitalized children, an event most commonly due to either rotavirus or Clostridium difficile, and they have yielded conflicting results. Overall, these studies provide only weak evidence on the efficacy of probiotics. On the other hand, a large number of trials on the role of probiotics in preventing the onset of antibiotic-associated diarrhea have been published. Most commonly employed probiotics were Lactobacillus GG, Bifidobacterium spp., Streptococcus spp., and the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii. In general, these trials do show clear evidence of efficacy, with the 2 most effective strains being Lactobacillus GG and S. boulardii. Today, we have a large number of published clinical trials on the role of probiotics in treating sporadic infectious diarrhea in children, and many of them are randomized, blinded, and controlled. They consistently show a statistically significant benefit and moderate clinical benefit of a few, well-identified probiotic strains-mostly Lactobacillus GG and S. boulardii, but also L. reuteri-in the treatment of acute watery diarrhea, primarily rotaviral, in infants and young children of developed countries. Such a beneficial effect seems to result in a reduction of diarrhea duration of little more than 1 day, and to be exerted mostly on diarrhea due to rotavirus. The effect is not only strain-dependent, but also dose-dependent, with doses of at least 10 billion/d being necessary.