Ornidazole

OR is indicated for Amoebiasis (Intestinal and hepatic), Giardiasis, Trichomoniasis, Bacterial vaginosis, Treatment of susceptible anaerobic infections.

Dosage & Administration

Amoebiasis:
Adults
: 500 mg twice a day for 5 days.
Children
: 10-25 mg per kg body weight in two divided doses.
Amoebic dysentery:
Adults
: 1500 mg once a day for 3 days.
Children
: 40 mg per kg body weight, once a day for 3 days.
Giardiasis:
Adults
: 1500 mg once daily for 1-2 days.
Children
: 40 mg per kg body weight for 2 days.
Trichomoniasis
: 1500 mg once or 500 mg twice a day for 5 days. Sexual partner should also be treated at the same time.
Bacterial vaginosis
: 3 tablets of 500 mg each as a single dose or one tablet of 500 mg once daily for 5-7 days.

Side effects of OR have been mainly limited to the gastrointestinal tract (nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain) and central nervous system (dizziness, headache, lassitude). Unlike other nitroimidazoles, OR does not interact with alcohol, although this requires further study.
Leukopenia has been described occasionally during therapy. Adverse central nervous system (CNS) effects of OR have mainly included headache, dizziness, lassitude or somnolence, fatigue and weakness. Adverse CNS effects of OR may be less than that happens with metronidazole. Seizures have not been reported with OR in studies available to date.

Ornidazole is a 5-nitroimidazole derivative active against protozoa and anaerobic bacteria. It is converted to reduction products that interact with DNA to cause destruction of helical DNA structure and strand leading to a protein synthesis inhibition and cell death in susceptible organisms.