Tetracycline and novobiocin in the treatment of amoebic dysentery in children

ABSTRACT

A study is made on the use of tetracycline-novobiocin combination (Albamycin-T) on 52 children suffering from acute amoebic dysentery. All patients received the medication at a dose of 30 mgs. per kilogram body weight per day of each of the tetracycline and novobiocin components of the drug. The dose was divided and given three times a day for ten daysEvaluation of the results of the study was based on the criteria for success of treatment suggested by the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry; 1. improvement of the patient subjectively. 2. elimination of cysts and/or trophozoites from the stools. 3. healing of ulcers in the colonAll of the 52 patients had dramatic clinical improvement between the first and fifth day of treatment, about 90% of whom showed such therapeutic response during the first three days. All the 21 patients who were treated for ten days became asymptomatic during the course of therapy as did 22 (95.7%) of the 23 patients who were treated for a period of from 5 to 8 days; and 4 (50%) of the eight patients who received the medication for a period of only 2 to 4 daysOnly the 21 patients who were treated for 10 days had adequate number of repeat stool examinations necessary for analysis. All patients became negative for E. histolytica during the period of therapy. In two patients who had sigmoidoscopic examinations before and after treatment, the amoebic ulcers completely disappeared during the repeat examinationTwo patients (3.8%) had side effects of the drug in the form of generalized urticarial rashes. No cases of jaundice or moniliasis were clinically apparent among the 52 patientsThe combination of tetracycline-novobiocin (Albamycin-T), indeed, is an effective armamentarium in the treatment of acute amoebic dysentery in children. The recommended dose is 30 mgs. of tetracycline and novobiocin each per kilogram body weight per day for a period of five to ten days. (Summary and Conclusion)