Table 1.

Reasons for excluding reports initially identified as relevant

Reason for exclusion	Number of reports
Did not assess the use of antimicrobials	14
Included only patients with a specific cause of diarrhoea	6
Used an alternative definition of persistent diarrhoea	3
Included adults only	3
Included children with acute diarrhoea only	3
Were review articles	3
Had no control group or were case studies	3
Were undertaken in a high income country	1
Relevant controlled trial but no mention of randomization	1