RICE ORAL REHYDRATION SOLUTION HASTENS RECOVERY FROM DYSENTERY

Using a three-cell study design over two years, we assessed the effica cy of rice ORS (R-ORS) for home management of dysentery in rural Bangl adesh involving 1,911 children of less than five years of age who were matched for socioeconomic status, morbidity, nutrition and other fact ors. Dysentery was defined as passing blood and/or mucus in the stool, and the total numbers of episodes studied were: 1472, 1335, and 1557 in the R-ORS, glucose ORS (G-ORS), and comparison areas respectively. Packaged R-ORS and G-ORS were supplied free of cost. The comparison ar ea continued the usual treatment of dysentery as practised in the comm unity. During the two-year period, weekly observations were made in al l areas on the incidence, management, and outcome of all episodes of d ysentery. We demonstrated that the use of R-ORS was associated with re duction in duration and a lower incidence of prolonged diarrhoea compa red to treatment with G-ORS or drugs. The mean durations of dysenteric diarrhoea were 7.6 +/- 4.9, 10.1 +/- 6.3, and 14.0 +/- 8.0 days in th e R-ORS, G-ORS, and comparison areas respectively. Similarly, the cumu lative recovery rates on day 7 of the illness were 61%, 42% and 21% in R-ORS, G-ORS, and comparison areas respectively. Based on these obser vations, we conclude that R-ORS may be an effective treatment of dysen tery and deserves further investigation.