Effect of single dose of secnidazole in treatment of intestinal amoebiasis.

Nitroimidazoles are highly potent antiprotozoal agents with wellestablished indications. Since the discovery of metronidazole, a member of this group, the treatment of amoebiasis has been revolutionized. Despite its extreme potency against E-histolytica, metronidazole has to be taken for a relatively long penod (10 days) and hasvanous side effects including headache, metallic taste, nausea, diarrhoea and abdominal discomfort. Treatment failure are relatively common due to poor patient compliance. Another mtroimidazole, namely (hydroxy-2-propyl) 1-methyl-2nitro-5-imiolazole, (Secnidazole), with a molecular weight of 184.18, is the first of group which offers a 3-day antiprotozoal effect from a single dose. This pharmacokinetic characteristic explains the good activity of secnidazole against intestinal amoebiasis. We tried secnidazole in the treatment of intestinal amoebiasis in Shahid Faghihi Hospital of Shiraz.