Combination therapy in the management of giardiasis: What laboratory and clinical studies tell us, so far
File(s)ACTROP_2016_119_Revision 1_V0.pdf (365.5 KB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Treatment failures in patients suffering from giardiasis are not uncommon feature. The most frequent approach in these cases is to treat these patients with longer repeated courses and/or higher doses of the primary therapy, or using drugs from a different class to avoid potential cross-resistance. However, a higher rate of adverse events may limit this strategy. In this context, combination therapy (CT) is emerging as a valuable option against refractory giardiasis. In the attempt to evaluate the benefits of CT, a number of experimental studies, clinical series, and randomized clinical trials (RCTs), as well as several veterinary studies have been performed, with varying results. Here, we present a critical analysis of the available information regarding CT for the treatment of Giardia infection, as well as the authors’ opinion with respect to its use. RCTs of combination therapy are limited and the optimal combinations and administration strategies need yet to be clarified. Analyses of the cost-effectiveness and RCTs of CTs for Giardia infection are required to assess the role of these drugs for the control of giardiasis, mainly in the case of treatment failures linked to suspected drug tolerance are the case.
Date Issued
2016-06-24
Date Acceptance
2016-06-18
Citation
Acta Tropica, 2016, 162, pp.196-205
ISSN
1873-6254
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
196
End Page
205
Journal / Book Title
Acta Tropica
Volume
162
Copyright Statement
© 2016 Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Subjects
5-Nitroimidazoles
Albendazole
Combination therapy
Giardia
Giardiasis
Metronidazole
Nitazoxanide
Quinacrine
Tinidazole
Tropical Medicine
Medical And Health Sciences
Biological Sciences
Publication Status
Published