Effectiveness of packed rice-oral rehydration solution among children with acute watery diarrhea

This study aims to compare the effectiveness between the packed rice-oral rehydration solution (R-ORS) and the glucose-based oral rehydration solution (G-ORS) in children with acute watery diarrhea.

Randomized control trial was conducted to compare duration of diarrhea, stool frequency, incremental weight gain, intravenous fluid requirement, and duration of admission. Subjects were 70 pediatric patients (9-60 months-old) and were equally divided into two groups (n=35 for each): treatment group (with R-ORS treatment) and control group (with G-ORS treatment). The data were collected during January 1, 2007 to January 2008. All patients were treated with oral rehydration therapy within first 4 hours of admission. Intravenous rehydration was also scheduled. Both groups were fed with rice gruel or lactose-free formula as tolerated.

Using survival analysis, both duration of diarrhea and admission was significantly shortened in the treatment group compared to the control group. (27.5 hrs. vs. 40.5 hrs: p = 0.01 and 40.1 hrs. vs. 56.0 hrs: p = 0.02 respectively). However, stool frequency, incremental weight gain and intravenous fluid requirement between the two groups remained insignificantly different.

R-ORS was more effective in the management of acute watery diarrhea in children. Duration of diarrhea and treatment was shortened when compared to G-ORS.