Comparison of Efficacy of Probiotic Versus Racecadotril in Children with Acute Diarrhea Aged 2 to 59 Months
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61919/jhrr.v4i1.1735Keywords:
Acute Diarrhea, Probiotics, Saccharomyces boulardii, Racecadotril, Oral Rehydration Therapy, Pediatric GastroenterologyAbstract
Background: Diarrhea remains the second leading cause of death among children under five, contributing to 1.5 million deaths annually. In Pakistan, diarrhea leads to approximately 500 deaths daily, with children experiencing 5–6 episodes per year. While oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is the cornerstone of treatment, adjunct therapies such as probiotics and racecadotril require further evaluation.
Objective: To compare the efficacy of probiotics versus racecadotril in children aged 2 months to 59 months with acute diarrhea.
Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Balochistan Institute of Child Health Services, Quetta, from November 2022 to May 2023. A total of 400 children were enrolled and divided equally into two groups. Group A received probiotics (Saccharomyces boulardii) and Group B received racecadotril, alongside ORT. Outcomes, including stool frequency improvement (<3 stools/day) and duration of diarrhea, were assessed on day 4. Data were analyzed using SPSS v25, with a significance level of p ≤ 0.05.
Results: Improvement in stool frequency was observed in 70% of Group A and 45% of Group B (p < 0.001). The mean duration of diarrhea was 3.7 ± 2.43 days in Group A versus 6 ± 3.21 days in Group B (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Probiotics significantly reduced diarrhea duration and stool frequency compared to racecadotril, supporting their use as an adjunct therapy in pediatric diarrhea management.
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