Treatment of children with acute amoebic dysentery. Comparative trial of metronidazole against a combination of dehydroemetine, tetracycline, and diloxanide furoate.

Metronidazole cured 17 out of 20 children with acute amoebic dysentery. The 3 failures were later treated with dehydroemetine, tetracycline, and diloxanide furoate, but 2 required further courses of amoebicides before they were cured. A combination of dehydroemetine, tetracycline, and diloxanide furoate produced cure in 16 out of 19 children. The 3 failures were subsequently treated with metronidazole. 2 were cured; the remaining patient did not reattend for follow-up. Metronidazole is as effective as the previously favoured combined regimen of amoebicides in children with amoebic dysentry. It is a safe and simple form of treatment.