Safety and Tolerability of Nonspecific Antidiarrheals in Children with Acute Diarrhea

ABSTRACT

Introduction: In clinical practice, nonspecific antidiarrhealsare most commonly used by clinicians along with routinetreatment to hasten the recovery. This study was conductedto to study the safety and tolerability of these nonspecificantidiarrheals in children with acute diarrhea.Material and Methods: This was a prospective, observationalstudy done in clinical settings for a period of 3 years at twopediatric clinics and at a tertiary care hospital. Children weredivided into 5 treatment groups (viz, control, racecadotril,Mebarid, Diarex and loperamide) at the discretion of thepediatrician. One questionnaire was provided to parents torecord the details about the course of diarrhea and parentswere sensitized to report any adverse event.Results: Overall occurrence of adverse events wassignificantly higher in racecadotril group (34.86%) comparedto other groups (C23.16%, M21.14%, D17.95%, L17.65%).Conclusion: These agents may be safe, effective andinexpensive addition to the routine treatment of acute diarrhea.