Randomized clinical study of five days apostrophe therapy with mebendazole compared to quinacrine in the treatment of symptomatic giardiasis in children.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy and safety of five days apostrophe therapy of mebendazole (MBZ) versus quinacrine (QC) on human giardiasis in children.


METHODS
A clinical trial was carried out in paediatric patients (aged 5-15 years) with confirmed symptomatic G. duodenalis mono-infection. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either MBZ [200 mg taken three times per day (TID) (n = 61)] or QC [2 mg/kg bodyweight tid (n = 61)], both for five days. Follow-up faecal samples were obtained at 3, 5 and 7 d after the end of the treatment.


RESULTS
Although the frequency of cure was higher for QC (83.6%) than for MBZ (78.7%), the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Adverse events were reported more in the QC group (P < 0.05), all of them transient and self-limiting.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite final cure rates ocurring lower than expected, the overall results of this study reconfirmed the efficacy of MBZ in giardiasis and also indicate that, although comparable to QC, at least in this setting the 5 d course of MBZ did not appear to improve the cure rates in this intestinal parasitic infection.
Canete
Roberto
R
Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology Centre, Matanzas City, Cuba.
Escobedo
Angel A
AA
Gonzalez
Maria E
ME
Almirall
Pedro
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D000969:Antinematodal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003462:Cuba; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005872:Giardia / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008463:Mebendazole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011796:Quinacrine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000969:Antinematodal Agents; D008463:Mebendazole; D011796:Quinacrine