Diarrhoea as a side effect of amoxycillin therapy.

The incidence of loose bowel actions in hospitalized children who were receiving amoxycillin mixture has been studied. A total of 293 patients were observed for the occurrence of loose bowel actions considered not to be due to their disease-state; some 19% of these patients suffered this side effect. The incidence was extremely high in the youngest children, but it diminished as age increased. A control group of patients showed a significantly lower (P less than 0.025) percentage incidence (7.4%) than children who were receiving amoxycillin mixture (18.8%). The dosage per kilogram of body weight per day was found to be unassociated with the incidence of diarrhoea in children below the age of two years; but above that age, children receiving higher doses of amoxycillin mixture were more likely to suffer this side effect than those receiving low doses.