Treatment of intestinal helminthiasis: mebendazole only or mebendazole-pyrantel pamoate?
Abstract
Background Although intestinal helminthiasis causes highmorbidity and has a negative impact on children’s growth and
development, the efficacy of antihelmintics for multiple
helminthiasis in mass treatment is still doubtful.
Objective To compare the efficacy of single dose mebendazole
and a combination of pyrantel pamoate and mebendazole for the
treatment of multiple infections due to Ascaris lumbricoides,
hookworm, and Trichuris trichiura.
Methods Subjects were elementary school students in Suka Village,
Tiga Panah subdistrict, North Sumatera. They were randomized
to either receive mebendazole (M Group) or mebendazole-
pyrantel pamoate group (MP Group). Stool examinations were
perfomed on each subjects on day 7, 14, 21, and 28 after treatment.
Analyses were perfomed by using chi-squared and Mann-Whitney
U tests.
Results The prevalence of intestinal helminthiasis was 95.4%. T.
trichiura (88.7%) was the most common cause of infection followed
by A. lumbricoides (79.5%), and hookworm (3.1%). Two hundred
thirty nine (76.8%) children had multiple infections. Although
the egg reduction rate of intestinal helminthiasis in the
combination group was faster than that of the mebendazole group,
there was no significant difference in the cure rate of both groups.
Conclusion A single dose of mebendazole is preferred for mass
treatment of multiple intestinal helminthiasis infections.
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Accepted 2016-09-01
Published 2007-10-31