Resources for Health Professionals
Treatment
Examples of several of the most commonly used treatments are provided in the table below. As always, treatment decisions should be individualized.
| Drug* | Dosage regimen for adults |
|---|---|
| Iodoquinol | 650 mg orally 3 times daily for 20 days |
| OR | |
| Paromomycin | 25–35 mg per kg per day orally, in 3 divided doses, for 7 days |
| OR | |
| Metronidazole** | 500–750 mg orally 3 times daily for 10 days |
*Not FDA-approved for this indication.
** Metronidazole is a nitroimidazole drug. The nitroimidazole drugs secnidazole and ornidazole have been used to treat D. fragilis infection but are unavailable in the United States.
References
- Stark D, Barratt J, Roberts T, et al. A review of the clinical presentation of dientamoebiasis. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2010;82:614–9.
- Kurt O, Girginkardesler N, Balcioglu IC, et al. A comparison of metronidazole and single-dose ornidazole for the treatment of dientamoebiasis. Clin Microbiol Infect 2008;14:601–4.
- Vandenberg O, Souayah H, Mouchet F, et al. Treatment of Dientamoeba fragilis infection with paromomycin. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2007;26:88–90.
- Vandenberg O, Peek R, Souayah H, et al. Clinical and microbiological features of dientamoebiasis in patients suspected of suffering from a parasitic gastrointestinal illness: a comparison of Dientamoeba fragilis and Giardia lamblia infections. Int J Infect Dis 2006;10:255–61.
- Girginkardesler N, Coskun S, Balcioglu IC, et al. Dientamoeba fragilis, a neglected cause of diarrhea, successfully treated with secnidazole. Clin Microbiol Infect 2003;9:110–3.
- Norberg A, Nord CE, Evengard B. Dientamoeba fragilis—a protozoal infection which may cause severe bowel distress. Clin Microbiol Infect 2003;9:65–8.
- Preiss U, Ockert G, Broemme S, et al. On the clinical importance of Dientamoeba fragilis infections in childhood. J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol 1991;35:27-34.
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