title: A comparison of metronidazole and single-dose ornidazole for the treatment of dientamoebiasis.
abstract: Recent reports of the pathogenic potential of Dientamoeba fragilis have underlined the need for an effective treatment against this colon-dwelling protozoan. Metronidazole is a well-known and commonly used anti-protozoal agent, but another 5-nitroimidazole derivative, ornidazole, may be preferable, where available, because of its longer half-life and fewer side-effects. This study compared the efficacies of metronidazole and ornidazole in a group of 112 patients with dientamoebiasis. Patients were randomised into two treatment groups: group 1 (n = 56) received metronidazole for 5 days, 20 mg/kg/day for children and 1.5 g/day for adults, in three oral doses, while group 2 (n = 56) received a single oral dose of ornidazole, 30 mg/kg for children and 2 g for adults. Stool samples were examined on the seventh and 14th days after treatment, and clinical symptoms were recorded to evaluate the efficacy of treatment. A statistically significant difference was recorded between the efficacies of ornidazole and metronidazole, both parasitologically (92.9% vs. 69.6%, p 0.001) and clinically (96.4% vs. 76.8%, p 0.001). Patients in the metronidazole group reported more side-effects than patients in the ornidazole group, none of whom required termination of treatment. These results suggest that single-dose ornidazole may be an important alternative agent for the treatment of dientamoebiasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Girginkardeşler
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Balcioğlu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozbilgin
authors.forename: U Z
authors.initials: UZ
authors.lastname: Ok
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000563:Amebicides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004029:Dientamoeba / Q000187:drug effects; D004030:Dientamoebiasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009950:Ornidazole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000563:Amebicides; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D008795:Metronidazole; D009950:Ornidazole