Severe, Culture-directed

One or more of:

  • > 6 diarrheal episodes/day

  • bloody diarrhea

  • persistent (> 1 week) diarrhea

  • fever

Usual Pathogens

Campylobacter spp

- Symptoms occur 1-10 days after exposure and usually resolve within 2-5 days.

No therapy unless severe, prolonged, or immunocompromised

Therapy Dose Duration
Azithromycin 10mg/kg PO daily 3 days

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, including E. coli O157:H7

- Avoid antimotility agents.

Antibiotic therapy contraindicated


Salmonella typhi

Salmonella paratyphi

- Relapse rate 10% after antibiotic therapy.

Therapy Dose Duration
Azithromycin

20mg/kg PO day 1, then

10mg/kg PO daily

7 days

Hospitalized/Bacteremic

Therapy Dose Duration
Ceftriaxone 100mg/kg IV q24h 7-10 days
If Salmonella acquired in Pakistan or Iraq and child is systemically unwell:  
Meropenem 60mg/kg/d IV div q6-8h 7-10 days

Salmonella spp, non typhoidal

Recommend blood culture if one or more of:

  • < 3 months old (also CSF culture)

  • febrile

  • immunocompromised.

No therapy for diarrhea unless high risk

High risk (base on susceptibility; if not known, use azithromycin)

Therapy Dose Duration
Azithromycin

20mg/kg PO day 1, then

10mg/kg PO daily

7 days

Hospitalized/bacteremic/<3 months old/immunocompromised

Therapy Dose Duration
Ceftriaxone 100mg/kg IV q24h Consult pediatric infectious diseases

Shigella spp

Therapy Dose Duration
Azithromycin 10mg/kg PO daily 3 days
or    
Ceftriaxone 50mg/kg IV q24h

3 days

Alternative

Therapy Dose Duration
Cefixime 8mg/kg/d PO div q12-24h

3 days


Aeromonas spp

Plesiomonas spp

Vibrio spp, not V. cholerae

Yersinia spp

No therapy for diarrhea unless severe, prolonged or immunocompromised

Therapy Dose Duration
TMP/SMX (if > 1 month old) 8mg TMP/kg/d PO div bid

3 days

or    
Azithromycin 10mg/kg PO daily

3 days


Vibrio cholerae

- Fluid/rehydration essential.

Therapy Dose Duration
Azithromycin 20mg/kg PO once 1 dose

Parasitic

See Treatment of Enteric Parasitic Infections.