ABSTRACT
Oral rehydration therapy and feeding for patients with diarrhea recommended by physicians who had attended the short course "Practical Approach to Common GI Problems" were compared with The Royal College of Pediatricians of Thailand Expert Committee on Gastrointestinal System's (RCPedT) Recommendations. A questionnaire was sent to physicians who had attended the short course. Physicians recommended a variety of oral rehydration solutions (ORS) which were different from RCPedT's recommendations. 42.6% of physicians recommended WHO/ORS, 54.1% recommended commercial ORS and 3.3% recommended any form of ORS. The other form of ORS, 59.0% of physicians recommended was carbonated drinks (nonphysiologic ORS) and 40.9% recommended home mixing of ORS. 55.7% of respondents recommended ORT for mild or moderate dehydration and 29.5% for mild or no dehydration only 14.8% of the physicians followed the guidelines. Although RCPedT WHO and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Nutrition stated that vomiting was not a contraindication to successful use of ORT but vomiting was the most common reason (86.9%) given by respondents for failure of ORT and vomiting was the reason for starvation as well (11.5%). Early feeding of appropriate food 80.3% of respondents followed the guidelines but only 50.7% of respondents recommended breast feeding for children younger than 1 year old.