EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF METRONIDAZOLE VERSUS A COMBINATION OF METRONIDAZOLE AND DIIODOHYDROXYQUINOLINE FOR THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH INTESTINAL AMEBIASIS - A PRIMARY-CARE PHYSICIAN RESEARCH GROUP-STUDY

An open-label, multicenter study to compare the efficacy and safety of a combination of metronidazole and diiodohydroxyquinoline with metron idazole alone for treatment of patients with intestinal amebiasis was conducted by primary care physicians in India. Parasitologic cure rate s were 97% for the combination drug group and 87% for the metronidazol e group at the end of 10 days, with a statistically significant differ ence (P < 0.05) in favor of the combination drug regimen. Side effects were similar in both groups. Eighty-six percent of patients in the co mbination drug group and 67% of those in the metronidazole group were graded as good-to-excellent responders clinically by the investigators . The results indicate that a systemic amebicide and a luminal amebici de can complement each other to effectively eradicate the amebic infec tion and enhance the cure in patients with intestinal amebiasis.