Cholestyramine in acute infantile diarrhea: a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in hospitalized infants

ABSTRACT

We evaluated the efficacy of oral cholestyramine therapy [2 grams. 3 times daily for 3 days] in a randomized double blind trial in 60 hospitalized well nourished Egyptian children [aged 3-24 months] having acute liquid diarrhea of five days or less in duration with moderate to severe degree of dehydration. Cholestyramine therapy did not have a significant effect on the stool output, the amount of oral rehydration solution [ORS] ingested, nor on the weight gain. However, it caused a significant reduction [=35%] in the duration of diarrheal episode and the frequency of diarrheal stools starting from the second day of treatment. Moreover, the number of patients cured from diarrhea was significantly higher in the cholestyramine group than the placebo one on any given day of hospital stay. Cholestyramine was acceptable by the patients, it did not aggravate vomiting, did not affect serum electrolytes [Na+, K+, and Cl-, and did not precipitate any unpleasant side effects. It was concluded that cholestyramine is a potentially effective and safe drug to be used as an adjuvant to rehydration therapy and adequate nutrition in shortening the duration of acute diarrhea in flavoured cholestyramine preparation to be used in the pediatric age