Effectiveness of the WHO Combination Treatment Regimen in the Management of Dehydration as a Panacea to Diarrhoea Prevention in Under-Five Children in Oyo State

Abstract

This study assessed the effectiveness of WHO combination treatment regimen in diarrhoea prevention through dehydration management amongst under-five children attending primary health care centres in Oyo State, Nigeria. The study used a quasi-experimental design consisting of a pre- and post-test for a single group. Sixty people who met the inclusion criteria were selected at random throughout the admissions process. Children with diarrhoea between the ages of 3 months and 60 months who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were hospitalised at the designated PHC Centres were the study's participants. Recovery rates at 24 hours, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks post-intervention were used to evaluate the efficacy of the combined therapy regime using a standardised instrument of the WHO observational check-list. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The results of this study demonstrate that the median ages of the participants range from 13 to 24 months (21; 35.0%), 3 to 12 months (18; 30.0%), 25 to 36 months (12; 20.0%), and 36 to 60 months (9; 15.0%). There are a total of 32 men and 28 females in this sample (53.3% vs 46.7%). However, upon arrival (Baseline), 47 individuals (78.3%) were already somewhat dehydrated. However, within 24 hours post-intervention, the majority of subjects (46, or 76.6%) no longer showed any signs of dehydration. After two weeks of intensive monitoring during home visits, the situation had improved significantly, with the vast majority (52, or 86.7%) of participants displaying no signs of dehydration. After 4 weeks of home visits, all 60 participants (100%) were found to be well hydrated upon re-examination. Dehydration status improved significantly after 24 hours, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks post-intervention, suggesting the combination of WHO-ORS and zinc is extremely effective in the treatment of diarrhoea in children younger than five. Therefore, PHC health professionals should use a combination of therapies rather than relying on just one to treat dehydration.