Efficacy of Metronidazole & Diloxanide Furoate in Amoebiasis and Giardiasis.

Abstract

This study was done to evaluate the efficacy of metronidazole & diloxanide combination in amoebic /giardiasis. It was an open prospective study on cases of diarrhea / dysentery. The children included were between the ages of 2 and 10 years. This cohort included 300 cases presenting with diarrhea / dysentery. The infected cases were selected on the basis of positive stool examination. There were 30 cases of amoebiasis, 14 of giardiasis and 6 of mixed infection. The presenting features of the cases of amoebiasis included dysentary (87%), diarrhoea (13%), abdominal pain (97%), vomiting (40%) and fever (30%) whereas those of giardiasis included diarrhoea (79%), abdominal pain (93%), and fever (7%). These children were prescribed a combination of metronidazole and diloxarnde in therapeutic doses for five days. 92% parasitological cure of giardiasis and 98% of amoebiasis was observed after five days of treatment. Clinical cure rate in both cases was 98%. This combination is well tolerated and is logical, for cure of amoebiasis and giardiasis.