Evaluation of an oral rehydration solution with Na+ 60 mmol/l in infants hospitalized for acute diarrhoea or treated as outpatients.

An oral rehydration solution (ORS) containing 60 mmol/l of Na+ (ORS60) was compared in a randomized trial with the ORS of WHO formula (Na+ 90 mmol/l = ORS90) for the treatment of diarrhoeal dehydration in 66 hospitalized infants aged 3 to 34 months. The infants had a 5 +/- 3% dehydration, and received within 6-10 hours 76 +/- 32 ml/kg of ORS60 or 74 +/- 41 ml/kg of ORS90 corresponding to a sodium input of 4.6 +/- 1.9 mmol/kg and 6.6 +/- 3.7 mmol/kg, respectively. Both treatments were found adequate and equally effective for the correction of dehydration and sodium deficit. The same ORS60 was also compared to a commercial low sodium glucose-electrolyte solution (sodium 35 mmol/l, glucose 3.5 milligrams) for ambulatory treatment of acute diarrhoea in infants. Satisfactory rehydration was achieved within 6 hours in 19 of 23 infants receiving ORS60 as opposed to 6 of 18 infants receiving the commercial solution (p less than 0.001); the poor result with the latter was in most cases attributed to a refusal by the infant to consume the sweetish solution. It is concluded that ORS60 is suitable for the treatment of isotonic diarrhoeal dehydration in hospitalized children as well as outpatients.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes