Oral Fluid Therapy in Diarrhea and Dehydration: Current Concepts and Practical Considerations

摘要

Dehydration--the loss of water and electrolytes through diarrhea--can fuel a vicious cycle in a child in which malnutrition begets diarrhea and diarrhea causes further malnutrition, until the child ultimately dies. The recent widespread use of oral fluid therapy (OFT) has significantly reduced diarrhea mortality, showing it to be an effective cure of relatively lower cost and greater convenience than intravenous feeding therapy. This report outlines the major approaches to OFT, ways of implementing these approaches, and issues still unresolved.