Racecadotril versus placebo in the treatment of acute diarrhoea in adults.
METHODS
A two-centre, double-blind, parallel-group, randomized study was carried out to compare the efficacy and tolerability of racecadotril (100 mg three times daily) and placebo in 70 adult patients with acute diarrhoea. An objective criterion of antisecretory activity, stool weight, was used.


RESULTS
Racecadotril produced a significant (P = 0.025) decrease in stool weight during the first day of treatment compared with placebo, and was also associated with significantly fewer diarrhoeic stools than placebo after 1 day of treatment (p = 0.027). Racecadotril and placebo were equally well tolerated, and the frequency of symptoms and signs was similar in both groups after 4 days of treatment. Fewer patients on racecadotril suffered from abdominal distension following treatment (5.6% vs. 18.2% on placebo).


CONCLUSIONS
Racecadotril acts rapidly to resolve acute diarrhoea and has an incidence of adverse events similar to that of placebo.
Hamza
H
H
Taoufik Clinic, Tunis, Tunisia.
Ben Khalifa
H
H
Baumer
P
P
Berard
H
H
Lecomte
J M
JM
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000930:Antidiarrheals / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015244:Thiorphan / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000930:Antidiarrheals; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; C049331:racecadotril; D015244:Thiorphan; D015260:Neprilysin