The widening array of recognized enteric pathogens and the increasing demand for cost-containment sharpen the need for careful clinical and public health guidelines based on the best evidence currently available. Adequate fluid and electrolyte replacement and maintenance are key to managing diarrheal illnesses. Thorough clinical and epidemiological evaluation must define the severity and type of illness (e.g., febrile, hemorrhagic, nosocomial, persistent, or inflammatory), exposures (e.g., travel, ingestion of raw or undercooked meat, seafood, or milk products, contacts who are ill, day care or institutional exposure, recent antibiotic use), and whether the patient is immunocompromised, in order to direct the performance of selective diagnostic cultures, toxin testing, parasite studies, and the administration of antimicrobial therapy (the latter as for traveler's diarrhea, shigellosis, and possibly Campylobacter jejuni enteritis). Increasing numbers of isolates resistant to antimicrobial agents and the risk of worsened illness (such as hemolytic uremic syndrome with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7) further complicate antimicrobial and antimotility drug use. Thus, prevention by avoidance of undercooked meat or seafood, avoidance of unpasteurized milk or soft cheese, and selected use of available typhoid vaccines for travelers to areas where typhoid is endemic are key to the control of infectious diarrhea.

/pdf/practice-guidelines-for-the-management-of-infectious-427wu61von.pdf

Practice Guidelines for the Management of Infectious Diarrhea

Ciprofloxacin is a broad spectrum fluoroquinolone antibacterial agent. Since its introduction in the 1980s, most Gram-negative bacteria have remained highly susceptible to this agent in vitro ; Gram-positive bacteria are generally susceptible or moderately susceptible. Ciprofloxacin attains therapeutic concentrations in most tissues and body fluids. The results of clinical trials with ciprofloxacin have confirmed its clinical efficacy and low potential for adverse effects. Ciprofloxacin is effective in the treatment of a wide variety of infections, particularly those caused by Gram-negative pathogens. These include complicated urinary tract infections, sexually transmitted diseases (gonorrhoea and chancroid), skin and bone infections, gastrointestinal infections caused by multiresistant organisms, lower respiratory tract injections (including those in patients with cystic fibrosis), febrile neutropenia (combined with an agent which possesses good activity against Gram-positive bacteria), intra-abdominal infections (combined with an antianaerobic agent) and malignant external otitis. Ciprofloxacin should not be considered a first-line empirical therapy, for respiratory tract infections if penicillin-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae is the primary pathogen; however, it is an appropriate treatment option in patients with mixed infections (where S. pneumoniae may or may not be present) or in patients with predisposing factors for Gram-negative infections. Clinically important drug interactions involving ciprofloxacin are well documented and avoidable with conscientious prescribing. Recommended dosage adjustments in patients with impaired renalfunction vary between countries ; major adjustments are not required until the estimated creatinine clearance is <30 ml/min/1.73m 2 (or when the serum creatinine level is ≥2 mg/dl). Ciprofloxacin is one of the few broad spectrum antibacterials available in both intravenous and oral formulations. In this respect, it offers the potential for cost savings with sequential intravenous and oral therapy in appropriately selected patients and may allow early discharge from hospital in some instances. In conclusion, ciprofloxacin has retained its excellent activity against most Gram-negative bacteria, and fulfilled its potential as an important antibacterial drug in the treatment of a wide range of infections. Rational prescribing will help to ensure the continued clinical usefulness of this valuable antimicrobial drug.

Ciprofloxacin. An updated review of its pharmacology, therapeutic efficacy and tolerability.

Antimicrobial susceptibilities of Vibrio cholerae strains isolated from cholera patients admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Calcutta, India for 6 years were analysed to determine the changing trends; 840 V. cholerae strains isolated in 1992-1997 were included in this study. Among V. cholerae serogoup O1 and O139, ampicillin resistance increased from 1992 (35 and 70%, respectively) to 1997 (both serogroups 100%). Resistance to furazolidone and streptomycin was constantly high among V. cholerae O1 strains with gradual increase in resistance to other drugs such as ciprofloxacin, co-trimoxazole, neomycin and nalidixic acid. V. cholerae O139 strains exhibited susceptibilities to furazolidone and streptomycin comparable with those of O1 strains. However, after initial increase in resistance to chloramphenicol and co-trimoxazole, all the V. cholerae O139 strains became susceptible to these two drugs from 1995 onwards. Both V. cholerae O1 and O139 remained largely susceptible to gentamicin and tetracycline. V. cholerae non-O1, non-O139 strains, in contrast, exhibited high levels of resistance to virtually every class of antimicrobial agents tested in this study especially from 1995. Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis showed that V. cholerae O1 Ogawa serogroup exhibited significant yearly increase in resistance to nine antibiotics followed by non-O1 non-O139 and O139 strains to six antibiotics and two antibiotics respectively. Interesting observation encountered in this study was the dissipation of some of the resistant patterns commonly found among V. cholerae non-O1 non-O139 or O1 serogroups to the O139 serogroup and vice versa during the succeeding years.

/pdf/expanding-multiple-antibiotic-resistance-among-clinical-1tkqpeetf5.pdf

Expanding multiple antibiotic resistance among clinical strains of Vibrio cholerae isolated from 1992-7 in Calcutta, India.

This document is not a formal publication of the World Health Organization (WHO), and all rights are reserved by the Organization. The document may, however, be freely reviewed, abstracted, reproduced and translated, in part or in whole, but not for sale or for use in conjunction with commercial purposes. The views expressed in documents by named authors are solely the responsibility of those authors. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this document, including tables and maps, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dotted lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement. The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers' products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by WHO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters.

https://www.who.int/drugresistance/Antimicrobial_resistance_in_shigellosis_cholera_and_cam.pdf

Antimicrobial resistance in shigellosis, cholera and campylobacteriosis

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(96)01180-4.pdf

Randomised controlled comparison of single-dose ciprofloxacin and doxycycline for cholera caused by Vibrio cholerae O1 or O139

To compare the efficacy of ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, nalidixic acid and pivmecillinam in the treatment of tetracycline-resistant strains of Vibrio cholerae O1 in adults, a randomized, open, clinical trial was conducted. A tetracycline group was used for comparison. Seventy-five adult men infected with V. cholerae O1 were randomly assigned to receive either 400 mg pivmecillinam or 500 mg of one of each of the other drugs. Ciprofloxacin was given every 12 h and the others every 6 h for 3 d. The mean total stool volume per kg was 155 mL for the ciprofloxacin group, 212 mL for the erythromycin and pivmecillinam groups, 246 mL for nalidixic acid, and 293 mL for tetracycline. The difference between ciprofloxacin and tetracycline was significant (P = 0.045). After 72 h, diarrhoea had stopped in 14 patients (93%) in the ciprofloxacin group and 12 (80%) in the erythromycin group, compared to 5 (42%) of those receiving tetracycline (P = 0.006 and 0.049, respectively). Bacteriological clearance was 100% at 24 h in patients treated with ciprofloxacin compared to 20% and 8.3% (P < 0.001 for both comparisons) in the erythromycin and tetracycline groups. Ciprofloxacin in conjunction with appropriate fluid therapy was the most effective treatment for cholera in adults; erythromycin was the next best.

Comparative trial of five antimicrobial compounds in the treatment of cholera in adults

Management of dehydration is the most important component in the treatment of severe cholera. However, effective antimicrobial therapy can significantly shorten the duration of diarrhoea and faecal excretion of Vibrio cholerae, and reduce stool volume and requirement for rehydration fluids.[l] Tetracycline has been used effectively in the treatment of cholera for many years, but resistant strains of V. cholerae 01 have emerged in a number of countries. In Bangladesh, > 90% of the V. cholerae 01 isolates are currently resistant to tetracycline, furazolidone and cotrimoxazole (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole ). This randomised clinical trial was conducted at the Dhaka Hospital of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh to compare the efficacy of ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, erythromycin, nalidixic acid and pivmecillinam in the treatment of adults with sever~cholera caused by predominantly multiply-resistant strains of V. cholerae 01.

Mohammed Rafiqul Islam

Papers

Comparative trial of five antimicrobial compounds in the treatment of cholera in adults

Antimicrobial treatment of cholera.