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Rapid intravenous rehydration in the treatment of acute infantile diarrhoea with severe dehydration
1Department of Child Health, Medical School University of Indonesia, Jakarta.
Insights
This study found that rapid intravenous rehydration with RL solution followed by oral rehydration salts (ORS) effectively treats severe dehydration in infants. This faster method improves outcomes and reduces hospitalization costs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Emergency Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Acute diarrhea and severe dehydration are critical health issues in infants.
- Effective and efficient rehydration strategies are crucial for reducing infant mortality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a rapid intravenous rehydration protocol for infants with acute diarrhea and severe dehydration.
- To compare the efficacy and practicality of this new method against existing protocols.
Main Methods:
- A 6-month study (July-December 1989) involving 21 hospitalized infants (<2 years) with severe dehydration.
- Treatment involved rapid IV rehydration with RL solution (70 ml/kg/3 hours), followed by oral rehydration salts (ORS) and feeding.
- Clinical and laboratory parameters were monitored.
Main Results:
- Average body weight increased by 6.71% after 3 hours of IV rehydration.
- 14 out of 21 patients achieved rehydration with IV fluids; the rest were managed with ORS.
- All patients showed clinical improvement with no complications or deaths.
Conclusions:
- The rapid IV rehydration method is effective, simpler, shorter, and more practical than previous methods.
- This approach significantly reduces hospitalization costs and duration of stay.
- The protocol offers a superior alternative for managing severe dehydration in infants.
Abstract:
During a 6-month-period from July to December 1989, 21 patients below 2 years of age hospitalized at the Department of Child Health, Medical School, University of Indonesia Jakarta, with acute diarrhoea and severe dehydration had been studied. The mean age was 9.21 months with the mean body weight of 6.732 grams. No accompanying diseases nor complications were found in these patients. The patients were treated with rapid i.v. rehydration using RL solution 70 ml/kg/3 hours, followed by ORS and continued by feeding. After a 3-hour-period the average body weight increased by 6.71%, fourteen patients had been rehydrated whereas the rest were still in mild dehydration, which could be rehydrated by ORS. Clinical and laboratory examinations revealed improvement of the condition in all of patients. No complications nor deaths occurred in this study. Compared to the earlier method by Sutedjo et al. (1961) and the recommendation of the First National Seminar on Rehydration in 1974, i.e. 30 mL/kg/hr in the first hour and 10 mL/kg/hr in the next 7 hours, this method is better, simpler, easier, shorter, practical and thus lessened the cost of hospitalization i.e. US +22.17 per patient with an average of hospital stay of 2.76 days only.