To the Editor—The study by Rabbani et al. [1] demonstrating that l-histidine– supplemented rice-based oral rehydration solution (ORS) reduces diarrheal volume and duration in patients with cholera is interesting and potentially important, but the article omitted reference to the original demonstration of such an effect when an ORS of glucose and electrolytes with added glycine is used [2–4]. Si...

INTRODUCTION Morbidity and mortality due to acute but treatable conditions remain high in the developing world, as many significant barriers exist to providing emergency medical care. This study investigates these barriers in a rural region of Ethiopia. HYPOTHESIS The limited capacity of frontline healthcare workers to diagnose and treat acute medical and surgical conditions represents a majo...

501 VOLUME 46__JUNE 17, 2009 Diarrheal disease continues to be a significant burden in terms of childhood morbidity and mortality despite tremendous progress in many fields. The 2007 Indian Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on management of acute diarrhea(1) emphasized three points: (i) low-osmolarity oral rehydration solution (ORS) is the universal rehydration solution for all ages and types of...

Acute gastroenteritis is a common and costly clinical problem in children. It is a largely self-limited disease with many etiologies. The evaluation of the child with acute gastroenteritis requires a careful history and a complete physical examination to uncover other illnesses with similar presentations. Minimal laboratory testing is generally required. Treatment is primarily supportive and is...

BACKGROUND Cholera mainly affects developing countries where safe water supply and sanitation infrastructure are often rudimentary. Sub-Saharan Africa is a cholera hotspot. Effective cholera control requires not only a professional assessment, but also consideration of community-based priorities. The present work compares local sociocultural features of endemic cholera in urban and rural sites ...

BACKGROUND Diarrheal disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children under five. Although oral rehydration solution (ORS) has tremendous therapeutic benefits, coverage of and demand for this product have remained low in many developing countries. This study surveyed caregivers and health care providers in India and Kenya to gather information about perceptions and use of va...

BACKGROUND In the Rehabilitation and Aged Care Services Program at Southern Health in Victoria, saline hypodermoclysis is a relatively common method of rehydration. However, there were questions about the safety and effectiveness of subcutaneous infusion of other fluids and, in particular, dextrose solutions. This review aimed to assess the safety and effectiveness of rehydration of elderly pat...

BACKGROUND Infant morbidity and mortality rates remain high in Indonesia, with acute respiratory illnesses (ARI) and diarrhea the leading two health problems in children under 5 years. We aimed to describe the nutritional status, feeding practice and case management of ARI and diarrhea of infants from two regions of Indonesia during the first 6 months of life. METHODS This study was an observ...

Burn injuries are the fourth most common type of trauma worldwide, and the appropriate care of burn injuries in resource-limited settings such as the battlefield, underdeveloped nations, or in mass casualtiesremains a significant challenge. Rehydration constitutes the primary treatment of the systemic effects of burns and is a major factor in patient recovery. The standard of care for the reple...

Hypotonic oral rehydration salts solutions (ORS) have been proved to be better than isotonic solutions with respect to water absorption. To establish whether a base precursor is essential in the composition of a hypotonic ORS with improved absorption properties, a randomised double blind clinical trial was conducted comparing two formulas of hypotonic ORS, each with an osmolality of 224 mmol/l,...