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Nalidixic acid in diarrhoea
1Department of Paediatrics, Lake Side Medical Centre and Hospital, Bangalore.
Insights
Nalidixic acid effectively treated acute bacterial diarrhea in children, reducing hospital stays and costs. This safe antimicrobial agent was well-tolerated, even in infants under three months old.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Acute bacterial diarrhea is a common childhood illness.
- Effective antimicrobial treatment is crucial for reducing morbidity and mortality.
- Nalidixic acid has shown promise as a treatment option.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of nalidixic acid in treating acute bacterial diarrhea in children.
- To assess the impact of nalidixic acid on hospital stay duration and associated costs.
Main Methods:
- A study was conducted on 109 children diagnosed with acute bacterial diarrhea.
- Children received nalidixic acid at a dosage of 55 mg/kg, divided into 4 doses.
- Clinical improvement was assessed 14 hours post-treatment.
Main Results:
- Nalidixic acid demonstrated significant clinical improvement in most children within 14 hours.
- The treatment effectively reduced the average hospital stay duration.
- Nalidixic acid was well-tolerated, including in infants under three months of age.
Conclusions:
- Nalidixic acid is an effective and safe antimicrobial agent for acute infectious diarrhea in children.
- It offers benefits in reducing hospitalization duration and healthcare costs.
- The drug is safe for pediatric use, even in very young infants.
Abstract:
In a private practice set-up from June 21, 1982 to December 31, 1984, 109 children who were admitted to the hospital with acute bacterial diarrhoea diagnosed on the basis of clinical findings and faecal leucocytes over 10/high power field, were treated with nalidixic acid 55 mg/kg in 4 divided doses to find out its effectiveness. The youngest in this study group was of 18 days, the oldest was of 16 years and the mean age was 2.61 years. In this group 72 were male children and 37 female. The average duration of stay in hospital was 2.71 days. Before admission 40 children (36%) had prior antimicrobial treatment elsewhere. These children were re-evaluated 14 hours after treatment and clinical improvement was observed in most of the cases. It was found that nalidixic acid was an effective and safe antimicrobial agent in acute infectious diarrhoea. It cut down the days of hospitalisation and cost. It was well tolerated even in children less than 3 months.