TREATMENT OF ACUTE DIARRHEA WITH ORAL REHYDRATION SOLUTIONS CONTAINING GLUTAMINE

Objective: In a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial we compared the efficacy of adding 90 mmol/L L-glutamine to the standard World Health Organization oral rehydration salts (WHO-ORS). Subjects: One hundred twenty male infants, > 1 month and < 1 year of age, with acute non-cholera diarrhea and dehydration were randomly assigned to o ne of the two treatment groups. Methods: Patients were kept in a metab olic unit where body weight, ORS, water and food intake, as well as st ool, urine and vomitus output were recorded at 6-hour intervals. Labor atory evaluation, including blood gases and electrolytes, were monitor ed during hospitalization. Results: Diarrheal stool output, duration o f diarrhea and volume of ORS required to achieve and maintain hydratio n was not significantly different between the treatment groups. Conclu sion: This study demonstrated that a glutamine-based ORS did not provi de any additional therapeutic advantage over the standard WHO-ORS duri ng treatment of dehydration in infants with acute non-cholera diarrhea .