Prevention of travelers' diarrhea by the tablet formulation of bismuth subsalicylate.
Within 48 hours of arrival in Mexico, 182 US students participated in a study to compare the efficacy of two dosages of bismuth subsalicylate (262 mg per tablet) as a prophylactic agent against diarrhea. The students were randomly assigned to receive two tablets (high dose) or one tablet (low dose) of bismuth subsalicylate four times daily or a placebo four times daily during a three-week period. Among these completing the trial, diarrhea (four or more unformed stools in 24 hours or three in eight hours, plus one other symptom) occurred in seven (14%) of 51 receiving the high-dose regimen compared with 15 (24%) of 63 receiving the low-dose regimen and 23 (40%) of 58 in the placebo group. Protection rates were 65% for high-dose and 40% for low-dose bismuth subsalicylate. Diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli was found in one student receiving the high-dose regimen, in no students receiving the low-dose regimen, and in seven placebo-treated subjects. Bismuth subsalicylate was well tolerated; the most common side effects were blackening of tongues and stools. Bismuth subsalicylate use in both dosages was associated with tinnitus at a low, clinically insignificant frequency of 1.2 days per 100 days of treatment. The dosage of two tablets of bismuth subsalicylate four times daily (2.1 g/d) appears to be a safe and effective means of reducing the occurrence of travelers' diarrhea among persons at risk for periods up to three weeks.
D000328:Adult; D001729:Bismuth; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011336:Probability; D011897:Random Allocation; D012459:Salicylates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013607:Tablets; D014195:Travel
D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D012459:Salicylates; D013607:Tablets; C015715:bismuth subsalicylate; D001729:Bismuth