title: Efficacy of octreotide in the management of chronic diarrhoea in AIDS.
abstract: Patients with HIV infection were studied to assess the efficacy of octreotide, a somatostatin analogue, in the long-term management of refractory diarrhoea. Dosage of subcutaneous octreotide was increased progressively at 48 h intervals from 150 to 300, 750 and 1500 micrograms/day according to response. Twenty-nine patients, 21 with Cryptosporidium enteritis, one with Isospora belli enteritis and seven with no identifiable pathogen were selected for the study; four of these were excluded from the study because of death during the first month (two cases), abdominal pain and acute pancreatitis (one case each). Twenty-five patients were evaluable for response. Ten patients (four with Cryptosporidium enteritis, five without an identifiable pathogen and one with I. belli enteritis) achieved a complete response (40%) and nine cases (all with cryptosporidial enteritis) had a partial response (36%). Patients with higher weight and Karnofsky performance status and non-cryptosporidial enteritis had a better response to treatment. Mean durations of treatment and response were 4.2 +/- 4.2 and 4.4 +/- 4.5 months, respectively. In the absence of specific agents for cryptosporidial enteritis and HIV enteropathy, octreotide was found to be useful in the management of chronic diarrhoea in AIDS patients.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital de Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Romeu
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Miró
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sirera
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mallolas
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arnal
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Valls
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tortosa
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Clotet
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Foz
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D015282:Octreotide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D015282:Octreotide