CAMPANY D, GRAU S, MATEU-DE ANTONIO J, MIRO M, KNOBEL H, MARCOS P, CARMONA A; Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

Abstr Intersci Conf Antimicrob Agents Chemother Intersci Conf Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1999 Sep 26-29; 39: 697 (abstract no. 2226).

Hosp. del Mar, Barcelona, SPAIN.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of diarrhea in patients treated with amoxicillin/clavulanate has been controversial, ranging from 0.28% to 16%. No specific information of this adverse effect is available regarding the elderly. OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence of diarrhea associated to amoxicillin/clavulanate in the elderly (patients >/= 75 years old).METHOD: A prospective, analytical, observational cohort study was conducted from February 1995 to April 1999 in the Departments of Cardiology and Pneumology in our tertiary-level, university hospital. Two groups of patients were selected: Group A included patients treated with oral amoxicillin/clavulanate 1 g/125 mg t.i.d. Group B included patients without antibiotic treatment. Patients with previous episodes of diarrhea were discarded. In all the selected patients, all diarrhea episodes were recorded. The length of antibiotic treatment, when prescribed, was also recorded. Epinfo was the statistical software used to treat the results.RESULTS: A total of 282 patients were included in the study. Group A contained 149 patients (mean age: 83.20 +/- 5.06) and group B, 133 (mean age: 81.32 +/- 4.90). In Group A, 25 patients (16.7%) developed diarrhea. In Group B only 6 patients presented diarrhea (4.51%). OR: 4.27 (1.63 - 13.10). The difference between the two group was statistically significant (p = 0.001). In group A mean duration of amoxicillin/clavulanate treatment was 8,80 days (range 1-17) and in patients who presented diarrhea, it was 3.23 (range: 1 - 7 d). Groups A and B were similar in age, sex distribution, and chronic diseases.CONCLUSIONS: The Group A (amoxicillin/clavulanate) presented significantly more incidence of diarrhea than the Group B (control). This inci dence is in the highest range reported by the literature. Amoxicillin/clavulanate produce a high incidence of diarrhea in patients older than 75.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Aged
• Amoxicillin
• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• Clavulanic Acid
• Cohort Studies
• Diarrhea
• Humans
• Longitudinal Studies
• Prospective Studies

Other ID:

• GWAIDS0008778

UI: 102246275

From Meeting Abstracts