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Fosfomycin in infantile acute gastroenteritis
Chemotherapy
|January 1, 1977
Summary
Fosfomycin effectively treated infectious diarrhea in children, eradicating E. coli and showing good tolerance. While some bacteria increased, most fecal flora remained sensitive to this antibiotic.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Infectious diarrhea is a common childhood illness.
- Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern in treating bacterial infections.
- Fosfomycin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic with potential utility in pediatric infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of fosfomycin in children with infectious diarrhea.
- To assess the impact of fosfomycin treatment on fecal flora composition and antibiotic sensitivity.
Main Methods:
- A clinical trial involving 83 children with infectious diarrhea treated with oral or parenteral fosfomycin.
- Coprocultures performed before and after treatment to analyze bacterial flora.
- Antibiograms and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) studies for fosfomycin sensitivity.
- Evaluation of clinical cure rates, treatment failures, and adverse effects.
Main Results:
- Fosfomycin achieved a 60/70 (85.7%) clinical cure rate in evaluable patients.
- Treatment led to the eradication of serotypeable E. coli, with a subsequent increase in Proteus sp. and Klebsiella/Enterobacter.
- High sensitivity of fecal flora to fosfomycin was observed, with >75% of strains inhibited at <32 µg/ml, except for Proteus sp. and Klebsiella/Enterobacter.
- Good tolerance was reported, with sporadic increases in SGPT as the only notable side effect.
Conclusions:
- Fosfomycin demonstrates significant clinical efficacy and good tolerance for treating infectious diarrhea in children.
- The antibiotic effectively targets E. coli while generally maintaining sensitivity in other fecal flora, though shifts in bacterial populations warrant monitoring.
- Fosfomycin represents a viable therapeutic option for pediatric infectious diarrhea, with careful consideration of its impact on the gut microbiome.
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