Oral rehydration in gastroenteritis in children.

PIP: Oral rehydration is an ideal form of treatment of gastroenteritis in India both in large hsopitals and in rural health centers where adequate facilities and trained personnel are lacking. This paper concerns a study of oral rehydration in 30 patients (aged 17 days to 5 years) admitted to the Children's Ward (of Goa Medical College between April to August 1972) for gastroenteritis and 210 children who were treated in the Outpatients' Dept. (Ta 1). Tables 2 and 3 show the complaints on admission and clinical signs of the disorder. Fluid replacement was divided into 2 phases. Intravenous fluid thera was administered to all children admitted in shock. Rehydration was started in all cases without shock and was maintained with orally administered glucose electrolyte solution. 12 patients had severe dehydration, 9 moderate and 9 mild. Table 5 details the control of diarrhea while Table 6 details the amount oral fluids given to different age groups and to patients with varying degrees of dehydration. 2 patients (3- and 5- month old females) developed paralytic ileus that led to their deaths. Paralytic ileus is a grave complication with a high mortality rate. It can be prevented by early and adequate administration of potassium. It is possible that some of the 210 outpatients in this study had transient diarrhea, cured themselves of it or took electrolytes which prevented complications from developing. The practice of dispensing "salts" to outpatient appear promising and should be encouraged.^ieng