Underutilisation of oral rehydration in the treatment of gastroenteritis

Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) has now been used successfully in many countries. The best indication of its effectiveness is a decrease in mortality, and this has been demonstrated in a number of studies in developing communities. In developed communities where mortality from acute diarrhoea is already low, ORT has been underutilised. Here, the general practitioner has a key role, and it is vitally important to appreciate that ORT is first-line treatment, with no place for drug therapy in most cases.