title: Short-course norfloxacin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole treatment of shigellosis and salmonellosis in Egypt.
abstract: In a double-blind clinical study, 109 adult Egyptian patients infected with Shigella spp. and 45 infected with Salmonella spp. were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: 1) norfloxacin in a single 800-mg dose, 2) norfloxacin, 400 mg twice a day for three days, and 3) trimethoprim (160 mg)-sulfamethoxazole (800 mg) (TMP-SMX), twice a day for three days. Among Shigella-infected patients, diarrheal symptoms had resolved in 86-97% and bacteriologic failure (repeat positive stool culture) occurred in only two patients five days after the start of the three treatment regimens. Among Salmonella-infected patients, diarrheal symptoms had resolved in 76-82% of patients and bacteriologic failure was common (18-36%) five days after the start of therapy. These data indicate that short-course therapy with either norfloxacin or TMP-SMX can be effectively used to treat shigellosis in adults in developing countries. However, for uncomplicated Salmonella spp. infection, short-course therapy with norfloxacin and TMP-SMX may not lead to a rapid resolution of symptoms or consistently eliminate this enteropathogen.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bassily
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Hyams
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: el-Masry
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Farid
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ayad
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Hibbs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003906:Developing Countries; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004405:Dysentery, Bacillary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004534:Egypt; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009643:Norfloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; D009643:Norfloxacin