HYPOTONIC ORAL REHYDRATION SOLUTION IN ACUTE DIARRHEA - A CONTROLLED CLINICAL-TRIAL

In a controlled trial, a hypotonic oral rehydration solution (ORS) (Na (+)67, K(+)20, Cl(-)66, citrate 7, glucose 89 mmol/l osmolality 249 mo smol/kg) was compared with a standard WHO-ORS (Na(+)90, K(+)20, Cl(-)8 0, citrate; 10, glucose 111 mmol/l, osmolality 311 mosmol/kg) in 60 ch ildren aged 5-24 months with acute watery diarrhoea. In the hypotonic ORS group, stool frequency, proportion of children who vomited, ORS re quirements and purging rate over 24-48 h were reduced by 33% (p = 0.01 ), 30% (p = 0.02), 21% (p = 0.067) and 21% (p = 0.03), respectively. T he proportion of children who vomited and the purging rate over 48 h w ere reduced by 23% (p = 0.03) and 10% (p = 0.097), respectively. Serum electrolytes after 48 h were comparable. The beneficial effect of hyp otonic ORS was most marked in, and largely contributed by, the subgrou p negative for rotavirus.