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Diarrhoea - antibiotic associated - Evidence
Evidence on antimotility drugs for management of Clostridium difficile infection
There is currently no good evidence to support the use of antimotility drugs in people with Clostridium difficile infection.
Although no randomized controlled trials were found, one literature review (search date: up to December 2007) was identified which examined the use of antimotility drugs (such as loperamide) in people with C. difficile infection [Koo et al, 2009].
- The study found that people who died or experienced complications were all given antimotility drugs alone initially, without an appropriate antibiotic. In contrast, in people who received an antimotility drug with an antibiotic (metronidazole or vancomycin), no complications were found.
- However, the results of this review should be interpreted with caution as the analysis was based on 19 case reports/series and a retrospective cross-sectional analysis and involved a very small number of people (50 participants).
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