NORFLOXACIN AND SALMONELLA EXCRETION IN ACUTE GASTROENTERITIS - A 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

In a controlled, randomized, double-blind study, 100 patients (66 wome n, 34 men; age 18-69 years) with acute salmonellosis were treated with norfloxacin (400 mg) or placebo tablets twice daily for 10 days to co mpare the effects on the excretion time of salmonella bacteria, In all patients salmonellae were detected in the stools before the start of treatment, The follow-up included 6 stool cultures after the start of treatment: day 3-4, day 12-14, and 4 times during 1-6 months, At 3-4 d ays there were 98% non-excretors in the norfloxacin group (46/47 patie nts) compared to 38% (17/45) in the placebo group (p < 0.001). The cum ulative 6-month elimination rate in norfloxacin patients at 3-4 days w as 72%, which was significantly (p = 0.0001) greater than the 31% in t he placebo patients, However, there was no significant difference in t he proportion of non-excretors or the elimination rate between the 2 g roups at the following visits, Only one patient had an adverse event r esulting in discontinuation of the treatment, We conclude that norflox acin treatment for 10 days decreased the excretion of salmonella bacte ria during the first week, but there was no difference in excretion ra tes 1-6 months after treatment initiation in the treatment versus plac ebo group.