Optimal antibiotic therapy in cholera.

Intravenous replacement of the diarrhoeal fluid and electrolyte losses to restore a physiological state of hydration is well established as the basis for successful management of cholera patients. The use of oral tetracycline as an adjunct in reducing the volume and duration of diarrhoea, as well as eradicating the vibrio from the gastrointestinal tract, has been proven beneficial. An optimal dose schedule has not been established previously, and clinical or bacteriological relapses have been generally reported. Chloramphenicol and sulfaguanidine have also been mentioned as adjuncts. The present report shows that 3 g or 4 g of tetracycline in one of 3 dose schedules were predictably efficacious. Chloramphenicol, while of benefit, was not as effective and sulfaguanidine was of little benefit compared with the tetracycline regimens.