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Table 2 Characteristics of Included Trials

From: Antimicrobial drugs for persistent diarrhoea of unknown or non-specific cause in children under six in low and middle income countries: systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Location and date of publication

Participants

Setting

Interventions

Outcomes

Source of Support

Guatemala

1992 [18]

Number: 102

Girls and boys, 3–35 mths

Diarrhoea 14–18 days, weight for length not

< -2 Z, no dysentery

Surveillance project: rural indigenous community

Field nurse visited homes three times daily to deliver intervention

Group 1: 10 mg oral gentamicin sulphate per kg body weight per day: 3× daily for 5 days.

Group 2: Placebo: 1% magnesium sulphate 3× daily for 5 days.

Diarrhoea stopped at 7 days, and at least 48 hrs after end of treatment

None stated

India 1992 [15]

Number: 68

Boys, 3 mths to 4 yrs

Diarrhoea ≥ 14 days, weight for length ≤ 90% of standard, no dysentery

Hospital oral rehydration unit in New Delhi

Field worker visited homes twice daily to deliver intervention and leave evening dose

Group 1: 50 mg oral gentamicin per kg body weight per day: 4 times daily for 6 days

Group 2: Placebo

≤ 2 liquid stools per day at 6 days.

Intake of IV fluids, ORS, water and energy.

Output of diarrhoea, vomit and urine.

Weight change at 168 hrs

Diarrhoeal Diseases Control Programme, World Health Organization

India 1996 [16]

Number: 156

Girls and boys, 4 mths to 3 yrs

Diarrhoea ≥ 14 days <4 weeks, no dysentery, Giardia lamblia or Entamoeba histolytica, no illness requiring antibiotics

Surveillance project with referrals to clinic and direct clinic attendances: urban slum in Delhi

(outpatients)

Group 1: 30 mg oral metronidazole plus 50 mg oral nalidixic acid per kg body weight: 3× daily for 7 days

Group 2: 30 mg oral metronidazole per kg body weight: 3× daily for 7 days

Group 3: Placebo

First of 3 days with < 3 liquid stools in a 24 hrs; days 3, 5 and 7.

No. stools in previous 24 hrs; days 2, 5 and 7.

Weight change at days 7 and 14

CDR, World Health Organization

Bangladesh 1995 [17]

Number: 55

Girls and boys, 6 to 15 mths

Diarrhoea ≥ 14 days <6 weeks No systemic infection, antibacterial use previous 7 days, severe malnutrition, Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella, Shigella, Giardia lamblia or Entamoeba histolytica

Clinical research unit of specialist diarrhoea hospital

(inpatients)

Group 1: 10 mg oral trimethoprim plus 50 mg sulphamethoxazole per kg body weight; 2× daily for 7 days

Group 2: Placebo,

Diarrhoea stopped at 7 days.

Stool output (g/kg) days 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7, plus all days 1–7 combined.

Duration of diarrhoea.

Hospital infection.

Energy intake (kcal/kg/day)

United States Agency for International Development and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh