title: Failure to demonstrate effectiveness of an anticholinergic drug in the symptomatic treatment of acute travelers' diarrhea.
abstract: Seventy adults in the United States with acute diarrhea who were attending classes in Guadalajara, Mexico, enrolled in a double-blind placebo-controlled treatment study of an anticholinergic drug, mepenzolate bromide (MZB). Thirty-five patients received MZB (50 mg) and 35 received placebo each taken 4 times daily for 48 hours. No significant difference was detected between the MZB- and placebo-treated patients in symptoms or in the frequency or character of stools. Recovery rates of 24.1% and 31% for placebo- and MZB-treated patients were similar. Despite the occurrence of anticholinergic side effects in 51% of MZB- versus 14% of placebo-treated patients (P less than 0.001), therapeutic efficacy was not detected. We do not recommend anticholinergic drugs for therapy in acute infectious diarrhea.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001561:Benzilates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014195:Travel
chemical_list: D001561:Benzilates; D010276:Parasympatholytics; D010880:Piperidines; C005101:mepenzolic acid