dults and children commonly present with acute diarrhea due to various etiologies. Depending on the duration, acute diarrhea is defined as, the passage of three or more loose or liquid stools per day lasting for <14 days (<2 weeks) in duration [1]. It is of concern since acute diarrhea in children is one of the biggest public health problems related to higher morbidity and mortality rates. It is also the second leading cause of death in children under 5 years worldwide [1,2].To combat diarrheal diseases, many treatment options have been made available.Recently, probiotics are one of the most researched subjects in the pediatric discipline. Probiotics are defined as, non-pathogenic live microorganism which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit to the host [3]. They basically affect the intestinal microbial balance of the host and improve his/her immunity, thus showing preventive as well as curative effects on diarrhea of different etiologies [4,5]. This study was carried out with an aim to compare the effectiveness of two different species of probiotic bacteria, Bacillus clausii and Lactic acid bacillus, in acute diarrhea. MATERIALS AND METHODSThis prospective, single centric, parallel group, single blind, and randomized clinical study commenced after obtaining approval from Institutional Ethics Committee. It was conducted from January 2018 to June 2019 at the Department of Pediatrics of a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital. The sample size was 150 patients which were calculated using Cochran's formula. Among these, 75 patients each were included in two Groups A and B. This randomization was carried out through a lottery method by a random allocator who was not associated with the study.The data were collected on a case record form after the informed written consent was obtained from parent or guardian. Infants and children between 6 months and 5 years, suffering from acute diarrhea and seeking treatment at this set-up, were included in the study. Infants and children whose parents or guardian were not willing to give their written informed consent, those with other co-morbid conditions such as the presence of blood/mucus in stool, co-existing acute systemic illness, shock, any infection, immune-deficiency states, severe dehydration, lactose intolerance, severe acute malnutrition or those who were already on probiotic before the hospital visit were excluded from the study.Groups A and B patients were administered probiotics -Bacillus clausii (2 billion spores) and Lactic acid bacillus (1.5 billion spores), respectively, along with ORS+Zinc orally twice a day. They were followed-up until they passed three consecutive stools with normal consistency and/or frequency to calculate the effectiveness of probiotics in acute diarrhea with respect
Background: Diarrhea is a public health problem globally, being the 2nd leading cause of death in children under 5 years. Dehydration as well as malnutrition are also serious consequences of diarrhea. This study was carried out with an aim to focus on the clinical and demographic profile of diarrheal patients of pediatric age.Methods: Infants and children aged 6 months to 5 years were analysed for age and gender distribution, chief complaints, feeding practices, nutritional status and assessment of dehydration; from January 2018 to June 2019 in the Department of Pediatrics of a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital.Results: Total 150 patients were analysed. Almost 50.67% group A and 41.34% group B patients belonged to toddlerhood. Male preponderance was also noted. Along with diarrhea, vomiting was noted in 22 group A and 21 group B and fever in 19 group A and 29 group B patients. Approximately 41-45% patients had no malnutrition and 55-60% had no dehydration in both the study groups.Conclusions: There is lack of awareness regarding dog bite and its management among the rural people fever and vomiting were most frequently associated with diarrhea. A little less than half of the study participants had some-dehydration. Nearly half of the patients belonged to toddler age group. Majority of the patients were exclusively breast-fed for six months.
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