The knowledge of parents of children with diarrhea on oralit at the department of child health, Dr. Pirngadi General Hospital Medan.

PIP: Over the October 1-December 30, 1981 period, the parents of all inpatients and outpatients at the Department of Child Health, Dr. Pirngadi General Hospital Medan (Indonesia) were interviewed to assess their knowledge or oralit, an oral rehydration treatment. The interviewer asked the educational level of the parents, knowledge and use of oralit, source of information, where oralit was obtained, and whether or not oralit is kept at home. 285 parents were interviewed. 227 had knowledge of oralit, but only 153 had used it; 58 had never heard of it. The primary information source was doctors (63.9%); newspapers and magazines (1.8%) had a minor role. Dispensaries (86.9%) were the places where people obtained oralit easily. Only 74 (48.3%) of the users kept oralit at home; 41 sometimes had it available; and 38 (24.9%) never had it. The main reason (44.3%) why the parents of children with diarrhea never kept it at home was the easy availability of oralit. Of 128 patients who sought treatment from medical staff (doctors and nurses) before they came to the hospital to be treated as inpatients or outpatients, 49% of the doctors and 50% of the nurses did not give oralit beforehand. The promotion of oralit would be more successful if village leaders, teachers, youths, and women's organizations participated in the program.^ieng