Bismuth salicylate for diarrhea in children.
OBJECTIVE
Recently, I had a visit from a 5-year-old patient who had been given bismuth subsalicylate for a diarrheal illness by a local family physician during a trip to South America. Is this a practice we should encourage?


CONCLUSIONS
Research from developing countries has found the use of bismuth subsalicylate to be effective in shortening the duration of diarrheal illness. Despite these findings, its limited effectiveness and concerns about it potentially causing Reye syndrome, compliance, and cost are the key reasons it is not routinely recommended for children.
BC Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Room K4-226, Ambulatory Care Bldg, 4480 Oak St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada. rgoldman@cw.bc.ca
Ran D
RD
Goldman
D000930:Antidiarrheals / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001729:Bismuth / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003906:Developing Countries; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012202:Reye Syndrome; D012459:Salicylates / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000930:Antidiarrheals; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D012459:Salicylates; C015715:bismuth subsalicylate; D001729:Bismuth