COMPARISON OF WHO TREATMENT OF ACUTE WATERY DIARRHEA WITH OR WITHOUT PROBIOTIC (BACILLUS CLAUSII) IN TERM OF MEAN DURATION OF DIARRHEA IN CHILDREN

Abstract

Background: Acute watery diarrhea (AWD) is a major health issue, particularly in children, leading to high rates of morbidity worldwide.

Objectives: To compare the efficacy of WHO-recommended treatment for acute watery diarrhea (AWD) in children with and without the addition of Bacillus Clausii probiotics, focusing on the mean duration of diarrhea.

Study Design: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at The Children's Hospital, Lahore  from September 2024 to March 2025.

Methods: A total of 184 children aged 6-59 months, diagnosed with acute watery diarrhea and meeting inclusion criteria, were enrolled. The children were randomly assigned to two groups: Group A received WHO-recommended treatment with Bacillus Clausii probiotics, and Group B received WHO-recommended treatment with a placebo. The main outcome measure was the mean duration of diarrhea, with stool frequency and consistency monitored daily during hospitalization. Collected data were processed and analyzed using IBM SPSS, version 27.0. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic characteristics, and independent t-tests were applied to compare the mean duration of diarrhea between the two groups.

Results: In Group A (WHO Treatment + Bacillus Clausii), the mean duration of diarrhea before treatment was 5.24 ± 1.51 days, which reduced to 1.85 ± 1.06 days after treatment, with a statistically significant p-value of 0.01. In Group B (WHO Treatment + Placebo), the mean duration of diarrhea before treatment was 4.70 ± 1.48 days, which decreased to 1.95 ± 1.06 days; however, the p-value for this change was not reported. When stratified by age, children aged ≤ 24 months in Group A had a mean duration of 5.10 ± 1.45 days, while those in Group B had 4.80 ± 1.50 days, with a p-value of 0.21, indicating no significant difference. For gender, Group A had 5.20 ± 1.40 days for males and 5.30 ± 1.50 days for females, while Group B had 4.85 ± 1.45 days for males and 4.55 ± 1.50 days for females, with a p-value of 0.15.

Conclusion: The addition of Bacillus Clausii to the standard WHO treatment significantly reduced the duration of acute watery diarrhea in children. This study suggests the potential benefits of incorporating probiotics in managing AWD. Further studies are needed to confirm long-term outcomes.