Treatment of cryptosporidiosis with spiramycin in AIDS. An "N of 1" trial.
We describe a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial with spiramycin in a single patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and a severe secretory diarrhea caused by cryptosporidium. Spiramycin, a potentially harmful antibiotic, had no clinical or microbiological effect in this patient. The application of the single patient (N of 1) trial to common clinical problems is a simple way to analyze the value of different therapeutic approaches. The time-consuming, expensive, multi-patient trial with ultimate extrapolation to the individual patient can be avoided. Single-patient trials can influence management and improve patient care and have potentially wide use in patients with gastrointestinal disease.
Woolf
G M
GM
McMaster University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Hamilton Ontario, Canada.
Townsend
M
M
Guyatt
G
G
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D007933:Leucomycins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation
D007933:Leucomycins