[Oral rehydration at a third-level service]

Abstract

Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) has been shown to be useful in decreasing mortality, reducing treatment costs and diminishing the frequency of complications in children under the age of five with acute diarrhea. The current concept of ORT includes not only the increase in the intake of fluids and the administering of oral solution in order to prevent or treat dehydration, but also the continuance of everyday feeding, the teaching of the child's mother to detect signs of dehydration and other alarming changes, as well as the non-administering of medication, especially those considered as anti-diarrheal or anti-vomiting, and limiting the use of antimicrobials, only to be used in special cases. The theoretical know-how of these concepts has been seen to be insufficient in order to increase the use of community-wide Oral Rehydration Therapy, being this the main purpose for the establishment of the Oral Rehydration Ward in teaching hospitals of second and third level, where the majority of its' personnel must come into contact with and share the responsibility of treating children with diarrhea. Within these wards students obtain information, ability and assurance in the effective actual management of children with diarrhea, including the correction of the state of dehydration through the administering of oral solutions. Another complementary benefit from the coming about of this ward is the decrease in the need to hospitalize the majority of the patient with diarrhea therefore reducing costs and any related complications. Oral rehydration therapy; diarrhea; dehydration; oral solutions.