Discussion
diarrhoea, diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting, pain, infection
INFECTION, DISEASE
Similar to findings reported in the international literature [The mean duration of infection in our study was 4.5 days. The literature reports that the duration of For the symptom severity in our study, no significant difference was obtained after 4 and 8 days of treatment. This finding differs from that reported in a meta-analysis in which the diarrhoea severity score on day 3 of treatment was significantly lower in Sb-treated patients (5.5 ± 6.8) than in the placebo group (6.7 ± 8.7) (P = 0.04) [Although self-reported improvement on days 4 and 8 did not differ between the This decrease in the duration of symptomatology may be relate to the mechanisms of action of probiotics, such as an increase in the production of short-chain fatty acids in colonocytes, reduction in the permeability of the intestinal barrier, or a decrease in the invasion of microorganisms [Most patients in the present study (65%) presented with pain as the primary symptom. It is relevant that only 17% presented fever, which is the most common symptom reported in the literature [The primary limitations of this study are the small sample size and the underrepresentation of the pediatric population. The used questionnaires do not collect data on some standard endpoints typically evaluated in diarrhea studies, such as hydration status and associated symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. As a result, it may not provide a complete picture of treatment response and may hinder the ability to interpret study results.The simple stool examination continues to be the primary test at the time of diagnosis. However, we included only those patients who obtained a positive methylene blue test result, which in clinical practice would suggest an infection caused by toxin-producing bacteria. It is therefore essential to identify specifically the aetiology of the disease.