Oral rehydration therapy effective in 90% of children coming to hospital with dehydration.

Egypts National Control of Diarrheal Diseases Project launched in 1981 has so far established almost 200 oral rehydration centers in clinics and hospitals. Mothers who remain with their children administer the rehydration fluid under the instruction of medical personnel. Mothers are encouraged to continue breastfeeding during diarrhea episodes. The centers are viewed as an excellent source of statistics and evaluation of the rehydration method. For example analysis of the 2673 diarrhea cases treated at 2 clinics in Cairo indicates that 77% of cases are under 1 year of age and 96% are under 2 years of age. The sex ratio of boys to girls in this series was 1.4 to 1. Signs and symptoms included watery diarrhea in 93% vomiting in 57% fever in 25% and moderate or severe dehydration in 27%. 89% of the children improved with oral rehydration alone. Only 11% required more than 1 liter of rehydration solution. The death rate in the series was 0.6%. The rehydration treatment restored the childrens appetites quickly. The results obtained from these 2 centers indicate that oral rehydration reduces the need for hospitalization as well as the amount of intravenous fluid required and the time of the medical staff.