Single-dose therapy for giardiasis in school-age children.

Abstract

A randomized controlled trial was carried out to study the efficacy of combined albendazole and praziquantel in the treatment of giardiasis in school-age children. Eighty-four children were randomly allocated to 3 groups: group 1 (n = 31) albendazole 400 mg combined with praziquantel 20 mg/kg; group 2 (n = 26) albendazole 800 mg as a single dose; group 3 (n = 27) tinidazole 50 mg/kg as a single dose. The treatment was considered curative when Giardia was not found in two consecutive stool samples. The parasitological cure rate was 74.2% for combined single-dose albendazole-praziquantel, 50% and 92.6% in the albendazole and tinidazole groups respectively (p = 0.0023). There was no statistically significant difference between the cure rates of the combined regimen and tinidazole (p > 0.05). This combined regimen was considered safe, with only minor side-effects being observed. Of the single-dose regimens, tinidazole still achieves the highest parasitological cure rate for giardiasis. The albendazole-praziquantel combined regimen may be an alternative single-dose therapy for giardiasis in children, especially as this combination will eradicate common intestinal protozoa and co-existing helminths. Whether the dosage of this combination treatment should be adjusted for G. intestinalis remains to be established by further study.

• Authors: Krisana Pengsaa, Kriengsak Limkittikul, Chanathep Pojjaroen-anant, Keswadee Lapphra, Chukiat Sirivichayakul, Pataraporn Wisetsing, Panida Nantha-aree, Pornthep Chanthavanich
• Journal: The Southeast Asian journal of tropical medicine and public health (Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health) Vol. 33 Issue 4 Pg. 711-7 (Dec 2002) ISSN: 0125-1562 [Print] Thailand
• PMID: 12757214 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anthelmintics
• Antiprotozoal Agents
• Tinidazole
• Praziquantel
• Albendazole

Topics

• Albendazole (therapeutic use)
• Analysis of Variance
• Anthelmintics (therapeutic use)
• Antiprotozoal Agents (therapeutic use)
• Child
• Directly Observed Therapy
• Drug Therapy, Combination
• Endemic Diseases (prevention & control, statistics & numerical data)
• Feces (parasitology)
• Female
• Giardiasis (diagnosis, drug therapy, epidemiology, parasitology)
• Humans
• Male
• Nutritional Status
• Parasite Egg Count
• Praziquantel (therapeutic use)
• Students
• Thailand (epidemiology)
• Tinidazole (therapeutic use)
• Treatment Outcome
• Urban Health (statistics & numerical data)