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How do antibiotics affect the duration of cholera diarrhea?
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cholera
A woman with cholera being treated by nurses at St. Nicholas Hospital in Saint-Marc, Haiti, 2010.
When treating cholera, the administration of antibiotics—such as tetracycline—during the first day of treatment is effective at shortening the duration of diarrhea.12
By reducing the length of the illness, this intervention also decreases the total volume of fluid replacement required for the patient. While antibiotics are a helpful component of care, the primary and most critical treatment for cholera remains the replacement of lost fluids and salts through oral rehydration therapy or intravenous administration.12