Single dose vitamin A treatment in acute shigellosis in Bangladesh children: randomised double blind controlled trial.
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.
Hossain
S
S
Clinical Sciences Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka. shossain@icddrb.org
Biswas
R
R
Kabir
I
I
Sarker
S
S
Dibley
M
M
Fuchs
G
G
Mahalanabis
D
D
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*
D014801:Vitamin A