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Diarrhoea - prevention and advice for travellers - Management
When should I consider prescribing prophylactic or empirical antibiotic for traveller's diarrhoea?

  • Antibiotics should not routinely be prescribed for the prevention or empirical (if required) treatment of traveller's diarrhoea.
  • Consider prophylactic antibiotics only for people who are at high risk of traveller's diarrhoea and who:
    • Have increased susceptibility to infection or are immunocompromised, for example:
      • People receiving chemotherapy or immunosuppressive drugs.
      • People with HIV infection.
    • Have a high risk of complications if they were to develop traveller's diarrhoea, for example:
      • People with chronic gastrointestinal disease (such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis).
      • People with an ileostomy or colostomy.
      • People with other chronic diseases (such as Type 1 diabetes mellitus, renal disease, congestive heart failure) in whom a diarrhoeal illness might severely impact on their health.
    • Are undertaking critical trips in which a short bout of diarrhoea could severely impact the purpose of the trip.
    • Note: for people taking acid-suppressive drugs (such as proton pump inhibitors), antibiotic prophylaxis should not be routinely offered unless they have a high risk of complications (for example, if they are immunocompromised).
  • Consider empirical antibiotics for people who:
    • Are travelling to high-risk locations where access to medical assistance is poor or not available and antibiotic prophylaxis is not the preferred choice.
  • For information on how to prescribe prophylactic or empirical antibiotics, see How to prescribe antibiotics.

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