Oral Intestinal Adsorbents - are they the Next Therapy for Acute Diarrhea in Children: A Mini-Review - Abstract
Current guidelines for the treatment of acute intestinal infection in children recommend oral rehydration therapy and use of anti-diarrheals is not widely endorsed, as there are reported safety concerns with some and they do not treat the underlying cause of the diarrhea. This article reviews the potential of oral intestinal adsorbents as an adjunct therapy to oral rehydration solution in the treatment of diarrhea in children with acute diarrhea. Oral intestinal adsorbents range from activate charcoal, clays and silicon-based materials,
but they all have a common mode of action which is adsorption of the causal agent of diarrhea from the gastrointestinal tract and removal from the body in the stools. Clinical studies have shown the safety and efficacy of several intestinal adsorbents and their benefits over anti-diarrheals in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children. However, more robust studies and education of both health professionals and the general public is required, before inclusion of oral intestinal adsorbent into the guidelines and potential widespread uptake.