title: Single dose vitamin A treatment in acute shigellosis in Bangladesh children: randomised double blind controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of a single large oral dose of vitamin A in treating acute shigellosis in children in Bangladesh.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomised double blind controlled clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dhaka Hospital, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh.
  
  
  METHODS
  83 children aged 1-7 years with bacteriologically proved shigellosis but no clinical signs of vitamin A deficiency; 42 were randomised to treatment with vitamin A and 41 formed a control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children were given a single oral dose of 200,000 IU of vitamin A plus 25 IU vitamin E or a control preparation of 25 IU vitamin E.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical cure on study day 5 and bacteriological cure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline characteristics of the subjects in the two treatment groups were similar. Significantly more children in the vitamin A group than in the control group achieved clinical cure (19/42 (45%) v 8/14 (20%); chi 2 = 5.14, 1 df, P = 0.02; risk ratio = 0.68 (95% confidence interval; 0.50 to 0.93)). When cure was determined bacteriologically, the groups had similar rates (16/42 (38%) v 16/41 (39%); chi 2 = 0.02, 1 df, P = 0.89; risk ratio = 0.98 (0.70 to 1.39)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin A reduces the severity of acute shigellosis in children living in areas where vitamin A deficiency is a major public health problem.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Sciences Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka. shossain@icddrb.org
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kabir
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarker
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dibley
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mahalanabis
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000284:Administration, Oral; D001459:Bangladesh; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004405:Dysentery, Bacillary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A