Traveler's Diarrhea in Children Under 18 Years Following International Travel

When traveler's diarrhea occurs in a patient under 18 years of age following international travel, age is a primary driver of management — both in terms of what therapies are appropriate and which are not.

Clinical Scenario

      Age under 18 years with traveler's diarrhea following recent international travel. This pediatric population requires a distinct approach: certain agents routinely considered in adult management are contraindicated in children under 18 with acute diarrhea, making age-appropriate selection essential.
    

Treatment Approach

Management centers on empiric antimicrobial therapy, with the choice of agent guided by the child's age, clinical presentation, and epidemiologic context — the complete selection criteria and regimen are detailed in the full protocol.

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References

DOI: 10.1093/cid/cix669

Antimotility drugs (eg, loperamide) should not be given to children <18 years of age with acute diarrhea (strong, moderate).
Empiric therapy for children includes a third-generation cephalosporin for infants <3 months of age and others with neurologic involvement, or azithromycin, depending on local susceptibility patterns and travel history (strong, moderate).

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