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. 1995 Jun;72(6):483–486. doi: 10.1136/adc.72.6.483

Trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole in the treatment of persistent diarrhoea: a double blind placebo controlled clinical trial.

N H Alam 1, P K Bardhan 1, R Haider 1, D Mahalanabis 1
PMCID: PMC1511123  PMID: 7618930

Abstract

The efficacy of an absorbable antimicrobial agent trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) in the management of children with persistent diarrhoea was evaluated in a double blind, randomised, and placebo controlled trial. Of the 55 patients studied, 28 received TMP-SMX, and 27 received placebo. A trend in stool weight reduction was observed from the third day after the drug was started, and the reduction was statistically significant on day 6 and day 7. However, the difference in total stool output (g/kg) up to day 7 was not significantly different between the two groups. The proportion of children whose diarrhoea resolved by day 7 (therapeutic success) was significantly more in the treatment group compared with the placebo group (23 v 15). Additionally, mean duration of diarrhoea in the group that received TMP-SMX was less compared with the placebo group (6.0 v 8.3 days); this difference, however, was not significant. Hospital infection (probably nosocomial infection) was significantly less in the TMP-SMX treated group (1 v 10). The results of our study indicate that TMP-SMX has a clinical benefit in respect of reducing the stool output, and higher recovery rate within seven days of treatment. In addition, it prevented possible hospital acquired infection.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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