Rifaximin treatment for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in children with irritable bowel syndrome: a preliminary study

OBJECTIVES : Aims of the study were to assess the effects of rifaximin treatment on small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) prevalence and gastrointestinal symptoms. STUDY DESIGN : Fifty (50) irritable bowel syn - drome (IBS) children were consecutively en - rolled. All subjects underwent lactulose hydro - gen/methane breath test (LBT) to assess SIBO before and one month after the treatment with ri - faximin 600 mg daily for one week. All IBS pa - tients filled out a Visual Analogic Scale (VAS) to assess and score gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea, bloat - ing, flatulence) at baseline and one month after treatment. RESULTS : The prevalence of abnormal LBT in patients with IBS was 66% (33/50). LBT normal - ization rate was 64% (21/33). Compliance was ex - cellent, and no relevant side-effects were ob - served during treatment. VAS score was signifi - cantly higher in IBS patients with abnormal LBT than SIBO negatives, and strongly improved af - ter successful treatment. CONCLUSIONS : Rifaximin was effective and safe in SIBO treatment and IBS symptoms im - provement in childhood. Double blind placebo- controlled interventional studies are warranted to verify the real impact of SIBO on gastrointesti - nal symptoms in children with IBS.