title: Efficacy of rifaximin compared with ciprofloxacin for the treatment of acute infectious diarrhea: a randomized controlled multicenter study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ciprofloxacin has been widely prescribed for acute infectious diarrhea. However, the resistance to this drug is increasing. Rifaximin is a novel but poorly absorbed rifamycin derivative. This study evaluated and compared the efficacies of rifaximin and ciprofloxacin for the treatment of acute infectious diarrhea.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a randomized controlled multicenter study in Korea. Patients with acute diarrhea were enrolled and randomized to receive rifaximin or ciprofloxacin for 3 days. The primary efficacy endpoint was the time to last unformed stool (TLUS). Secondary endpoints were enteric wellness (reduction of at least 50% in the number of unformed stools during 24-hour postenrollment intervals), general wellness (subjective feeling of improvement), and proportion of patients with treatment failure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intent-to-treat analysis (n=143) showed no significant difference between the rifaximin and ciprofloxacin groups in the mean TLUS (36.1 hours vs 43.6 hours, p=0.163), enteric wellness (49% vs 57%, p=0.428), general wellness (67% vs 78%, p=0.189), or treatment failure rate (9% vs 12%, p=0.841). The adverse events did not differ significantly between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that rifaximin is as safe and effective as ciprofloxacin in the treatment of acute infectious diarrhea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung Sup
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: You Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dong Soo
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Chang Hwan
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Byung-Ik
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Young-Sook
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Kang-Moon
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Soo Teik
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyun-Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Joo Sung
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim