Oral rehydration in acute infantile diarrhea
Article Abstract:
Acute diarrhea is a common, transient disorder characterized by the frequent passage of unformed watery stools, and causes five million fatalities worldwide in children under five years of age. Children with diarrhea may have an excessive loss of body fluid, which can lead to dehydration, shock and death if not treated. Although it is seldom fatal in developed countries, acute diarrhea is the second most common cause of hospital admission among children. A child or infant afflicted with diarrhea should be given fluids (rehydrated) to replace the fluids that have been lost. In the past, rehydration was accomplished by administering salt and sugar solution intravenously, but today, oral rehydration solutions are effectively used in the management of this condition. When diarrhea occurs, cells that absorb fluids from the intestinal contents are lost from the inside lining of the intestines, and oral rehydration solutions promote the regrowth of these cells. These solutions also directly increase the reabsorption of water from the intestinal contents. In developing countries, oral rehydration solutions have decreased diarrhea-induced fatalities in both children and adults. A recent study of 146 children with acute diarrhea compared the effectiveness of IV rehydration therapy with oral rehydration therapy. Almost 90 percent of the patients were successfully treated with either therapy, and no side effects were observed in the group receiving oral rehydration therapy. The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition supports the use of these solutions for the treatment and management of acute diarrhea in children. In infants with acute diarrhea, the reintroduction of food should occur as soon as possible and not be delayed for more than 24 hours. Prescription antibiotics and over-the-counter antidiarrheals are not usually used in the management of infantile diarrhea. However, the immediate use of oral rehydration solutions may prevent serious dehydration and admission to the hospital. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: American Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0002-9343
Year: 1990
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Use of a somatostatin analogue, octreotide acetate, in the management of acute gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease
Article Abstract:
Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a serious complication of bone marrow transplants. At its simplest level, the bone marrow graft produces cells that react with host cells and cause damage. This disease can affect the intestines, causing severe diarrhea. This in turn causes the patient to lose large amounts of water and nutrients, which can be very injurious. Somatostatin is a hormone that has been used successfully to treat diarrhea caused by a number of diseases. This study examined using an analogue (structurally similar compound) of somatostatin, octreotide acetate, to treat diarrhea caused by GvHD. The drug was given in doses of 50 to 250 micrograms three times a day to six patients with confirmed cases of intestinal GvHD and accompanying diarrhea. Results showed that drug therapy quickly resolved the diarrhea in three of the six patients, with two cases completely resolved within four days of beginning treatment. Three patients showed no response to the therapy, and eventually died of GvHD that could not be cured. These results indicate that somatostatin and its analogues may be useful in treating severe diarrhea caused by GvHD, while the underlying GvHD must be treated simultaneously by other means. The drug therapy seems less effective when the gut mucosa (lining tissue) is damaged beyond a certain degree. Further controlled studies are needed to confirm this effect. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: American Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0002-9343
Year: 1991
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