Antidiarrheal agents in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children
B. L. Portnoy, H. L. DuPont, D. Pruitt, J. A. Abdo and J. T. Rodriguez
To evaluate the efficacy of antidiarrheal agents in the treatment of
diarrheal illnesses, a study was conducted with children in Guatemala who
had an acute diarrheal illness. Eighty patients, aged 3 to 11 years, were
hospitalized and treated for two days with one of five agents:
kaolin-pectin suspension concentrate (Kao-Con), kaolin suspension, pectin
suspension, diphenoxylate-atropine liquid (Lomotil), or placebo. Although
the patients receiving kaolin-pectin produced stools that tended to be more
formed than those of the placebo-treated group patients, the study did not
demonstrate any effect by any of the agents tested in influencing the
frequency of bowel movement, the water content of the stools, or the weight
of stools. Kaolin-pectin suspension and diphenoxylate-atropine liquid do
not appear to be useful in the relief of acute nonspecific diarrhea in
children.
