Related Experiment Videos
Comparison of two non-absorbable antibiotics for treatment of bacterial enteritis in children
1Dept. of Paediatric Surgery, Regional Hospital, Parma, Italy.
Insights
Rifaximin and neomycin + bacitracin effectively treated bacterial diarrhea in children. Both antibiotics rapidly improved stool consistency and eliminated symptoms with excellent tolerability, with rifaximin showing superior local tolerance.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Gastroenterology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Bacterial diarrhea is a common pediatric illness requiring effective antimicrobial therapy.
- Established treatments like neomycin + bacitracin have known efficacy but potential side effects.
- Rifaximin, a non-absorbable antibiotic, presents an alternative option for treating bacterial gastroenteritis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy and tolerability of oral rifaximin versus neomycin + bacitracin in children with bacterial diarrhea.
- To evaluate the impact of these antibiotics on clinical symptoms and bacteriological outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A randomized trial involving 31 children diagnosed with bacterial diarrhea.
- Participants received either oral rifaximin or neomycin + bacitracin for a short duration.
- Etiologic agents included Salmonella spp. and enteropathogenic E. coli; outcomes assessed included bacteriological cure and symptom resolution.
Main Results:
- Both rifaximin (12/14) and neomycin + bacitracin (13/17) achieved high rates of bacteriological cure.
- Significant improvements in stool frequency, consistency, and symptom resolution were observed within 1-2 days for both treatment groups.
- Both regimens demonstrated excellent systemic tolerability; rifaximin showed superior local tolerance with fewer reported stomach aches.
Conclusions:
- Oral rifaximin is an effective and well-tolerated alternative for treating bacterial diarrhea in children.
- Rifaximin offers comparable efficacy to neomycin + bacitracin with improved local tolerability.
- Rapid symptom improvement and bacteriological eradication underscore the utility of both antibiotic regimens.
Abstract:
Thirty-one children with bacterial diarrhoea were administered an oral suspension of rifaximin (14 children, mean age: 4.3 yrs; dosage: 5 ml, equal to 100 mg, x 4/day for 3 days on average) or of neomycin + bacitracin (17 children, mean age: 3.6 yrs; dosage: 5 ml x 4/ day for 4 days on average). Etiologic agents were: minor Salmonella spp in 9 and 7 cases respectively; enteropathogenic E. coli in 5 and 10 cases. Rifaximin yielded bacteriological cure in 12/14 children; the reference drug in 13/17. With both antibiotics, stool number/day fell, after one day, from 6 on average, to normality (2-3 stools); within two days stool consistency and characteristics shifted to normal. Symptomatology was quickly eliminated in all of the cured children. Both treatments showed excellent systemic tolerability; rifaximin was completely tolerated also locally, while two cases of stomach ache were reported with the reference drug.