title: Effect of metronidazole versus standard care on length of stay of patients admitted with severe infectious mononucleosis: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Metronidazole may be of use in the treatment of infectious mononucleosis (IM). Our aim is to show that metronidazole shortens hospital stay for patients with severe IM. A single-centre randomized controlled trial was undertaken in patients admitted with severe IM, who were with a similar group treated by the standard care. Patients were blinded to which treatment arm they were in. Forty-two of these patients were enrolled in the trial. The primary endpoint was the difference in length of stay. This was significantly less in the metronidazole group (3.67 days v 4.67) (p 0.032). This study demonstrates that metronidazole has a role to play in severe infectious mononucleosis.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Limerick, Dooradoyle, Ireland; Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Lennon
authors: J P
authors: JP
authors: O'Neill
authors: J E
authors: JE
authors: Fenton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D008795:Metronidazole
keywords: Clinical trials; glandular fever; infectious mononucleosis; length of stay; metronidazole