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Bismuth salicylate for diarrhea in children
1BC Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Room K4-226, Ambulatory Care Bldg, 4480 Oak St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada. rgoldman@cw.bc.ca
Question:
Recently, I had a visit from a 5-year-old patient who had been given bismuth subsalicylate for a diarrheal illness by a local family physician during a trip to South America. Is this a practice we should encourage?
Answer:
Research from developing countries has found the use of bismuth subsalicylate to be effective in shortening the duration of diarrheal illness. Despite these findings, its limited effectiveness and concerns about it potentially causing Reye syndrome, compliance, and cost are the key reasons it is not routinely recommended for children.
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