Treatment
Most cases of diarrhoea do not need antibiotic therapy as the bacterial or parasitic organism are not isolated from most of the cases. However chemotherapeutics are given in those cases in which diarrhoea is due to bacteria or protozoa. These cases will usually have blood/mucus in stools and high fever.
Chemotherapeutics
The following drugs can be used:
- Ampicillin given in the dose of 50 to 100 mg per kg body weight per day in divided doses.
- Amoxycillin 20 to 40 mg per kg per day in three divided doses.
- Oral etreptomicin in the dose of 100 mg per kg per day.
- Furazolidine orally six ml per kg per day to a maximum of 200 mg.
- Neomycin 50 to 100 mg per kg per day in divided doses.
- Colistin sulfate 5 to 8 mg per kg per day in divided doses orally.
- Cotrimoxazole : The dose is calculated on the basis of 4 to 10 mg per kg per day.
- Nalidixic acid 50 mg per day in 4 divided doses. Erythromycin 30 to 50 mg per kg per day in divided doses.
- Lomotil diphenoxylate hydrochloride with atropine is sometimes given. It reduces motility of the gut but the course of illness is not altered with this.