Effect of oral dimenhydrinate in children with acute gastroenteritis : a clinical trial

Abstract EN

Objectives: One of the major causes of mortality in children is acute gastroenteritis.

Vomiting is common in early stages of the disease.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of oral dimenhydrinate (DH) in the control of vomiting in cases of acute gastroenteritis in children.

Methods: This double-blind, randomized, clinical trial was conducted in a university-affiliated hospital in a western province of Iran.

Two hundred children aged one to 12 years old were randomly assigned to either drug or placebo groups.

Children in the drug group received oral DH as four doses of 1 mg/kg every six hours (maximum 200 mg), and children in the placebo group received a placebo drug.

The patients variables were compared 24 hours after receiving the first dose and at seven and 14 days after discharge.

Results: The mean number of episodes of vomiting was 4.4±2.5 in the drug group versus 4.4±2.1 in the placebo group, which was not statistically significant (p<0.050).

The mean number of episodes of diarrhea was 7.4±3.2 and 10.1±2.8 in the drug and placebo groups, respectively, (p<0.050).

The duration of diarrhea, side effects, need to revisit, and parent’s satisfaction in both groups were also significantly different (p>0.050).

Conclusions: Oral DH in children with acute gastroenteritis does not reduce the number and duration of vomiting.

However, our results showed that consumption of DH in acute gastroenteritis patients was effective in reducing the frequency and duration of diarrhea and further investigation into this is warranted.