Study of effect of the dose and duration of metronidazole on amebic colitis and platelets

Abstract EN

Background and Objective : Amebiasis caused by Entamoeba Histolytica (E.H) is a common problem in areas with poor hygiene.

Metronidazole is abroad antiprotoza agent used in symptomatic or asymptomatic infection.

Aim of Study : To findout which idial course duration 7 or 10 days and which logical effective dose 30 mg / kg or 50 mg / kg for treatment of amebiasis beside effect the dose on platelets.

Method : Prospective study was conducted on (171) hospitalized patient at Bint–Al-Huda hospital during the period from the 1st of May 2010 to the 1st of May 2011, suffering from amebic colitis.

The patients divided for four groups.

Group A (45) patient treated by 30 mg / kg and group B (47) patient treated by 50 mg / kg for 7 days.

Group C (38) patient treated by 30 mg / kg and group D (41) treated by 50 mg / Kg for 10 days.

The diagnosis of amebiasis depend on positive fresh stool sample for E.H trophozoites and followed more than once.

Platelets count performed for all patient at the end of each course.

Result : The 7 days treatment course cure (86.6 %) of patient from group A and (89.4 %) for group B, while 10 days treatment course cure (94.4 %) of group C and (96 %) for group D.

Duration of bloody diarrhea in group A was (89.

+ 14 hrs), group B (86.

+ 21.98hrs), group C (85.2 + 17.76 hrs) and group D was (83.

+ 14.97).

So the dose difference 30 mg / kg or 50 mg / kg not affect the duration of bloody diarrhea significantly.

P value > 0.05.

One patient from group D develop thrombocytopenia, four patients develop dark urine in presence of normal heamostasis.

Conclusion : Amebiasis is a great problem in our locality and 30 mg / kg for 10 days of metronidazole course so effective equally to that 50 mg / kg, therefore the former course looked more logical unless the infection so severe, because the less dose administration the least side effects .

Effect the dose and duration of metronidazole on platelets need to be investigated more.