Loperamide for treatment of acute diarrhoea in infants and young children

High-dose loperamide reduces stool output and shortens the duration of diarrhoea in infants receiving intravenous fluids for rehydration, but may cause potentially harmful side-effects in a small number of patients. This double-blind placebo-controlled study was undertaken to assess whether loperamide would shorten the hospital stay of dehydrated children in a rehydration unit. Ninety-one patients with acute dehydrating diarrhoea received loperamide and 94 received placebo. The groups were clinically indistinguishable on admission to hospital. There was no difference between groups for the duration of rehydration or the number of treatment failures. The use of loperamide is not recommended in the treatment of infants and young children with acute diarrhoea.