Efficacy Of Oral Rehydration Solution Research Articles

Dehydration: Need For an Improved Rehydrating Energy Drink

Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is the cornerstone treatment for managing dehydration. However, ORT cannot “halt” the underlying intestinal fluid loss, a significant mechanism of infectious organisms responsible for causing diarrhea. Reports have demonstrated the role of calcium in treating contagious diarrhea through the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), which is absent in oral rehydration solution (ORS). CaSR is a novel target that has demonstrated its effectiveness in treating diarrhea. CaSR is activated by a simple calcium agonist, an easily accessible, inexpensive, and safe-to-use option in the pediatric population. Adding nutrients would be simple and may increase the efficacy of the current ORS treatment. Maltodextrin (MDs) over glucose in ORS has shown benefits in these patients as the osmolality of MDs is significantly lower than that of disaccharide sugars. Thus, adding multivitamins, nutrients, and energy boosters to WHO- ORS may improve the efficacy of ORS in treating diarrhea, reducing malnutrition, and providing energy to curb fatigue.

Knowledge and Use of Oral Rehydration Solution in the Management of Childhood Diarrhoea among Mothers in a Tertiary Health Facility in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria

Introduction: Oral rehydration solution (ORS) has been a life-saving remedy in the home and hospital management of dehydration, particularly in infants and children under the age of five. The improper use has however resulted in morbidity and mortality in children. The purpose of this study is to assess proper use of ORS by mothers in the management of diarrhoea in under-five children.
 Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over 3 months. Mothers of children under five years of age presenting with diarrhoea at the Diarrhoea Training Unit of a tertiary hospital were interviewed using a pretested structured interviewer-administered questionnaires. Data was analysed using SPSS version 20.0.
 Results: A total of 90 mothers were interviewed. 86.7% of respondents were of a high socioeconomic class. 51.1% of children with diarrhoea were between 6-15months of age. (Mean age of 17 + 12.3 months). Although 93.3% of mothers were aware of ORS, 64.4% reported using it to treat their children. Only 40 (44.4%) respondents constituted ORS appropriately and discarded unused portions at 24 hours.
 Conclusion: Although mothers of under-five children are aware of the efficacy of ORS in the management of diarrhoea, their knowledge of its proper use is limited. Increased awareness among mothers of under-five children about the proper use of ORS is necessary to avoid debilitating complications such as dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, etc.

Efficacy of an Oral Rehydration Solution Enriched with Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and Zinc in the Management of Acute Diarrhoea in Infants: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

The efficacy of oral rehydration solution (ORS) enriched with Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and zinc in infants with acute gastroenteritis, is poorly defined. The aim of this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, was to assess the efficacy of an ORS enriched with Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and zinc (ORS+Lr&Z) in well-nourished, non-hospitalized infants with acute diarrhoea. Fifty one infants with acute diarrhoea were randomly assigned to receive either ORS+Lr&Z (28 infants, mean ± SD age 1.7 ± 0.7 years, 21 males), or standard ORS (ORS−Lr&Z; 23 infants, mean ± SD age 1.8 ± 0.7 years, 16 males). Stools volume and consistency were recorded pre- and posttreatment using the Amsterdam Infant Stool Scale and were compared between the two groups, as well as lost work/day care days, drug administration and need for hospitalization. Both groups showed reduction in the severity of diarrhoea on day two (p < 0.001) while, all outcomes showed a trend to be better in the ORS+Lr&Z group, without reaching statistical significance, probably due to the relatively small number of patients. No adverse effects were recorded. In conclusion, both ORS were effective in managing acute diarrhoea in well-nourished, non-hospitalized infants. ORS enriched with L. reuteri DSM 17938 and zinc was well tolerated with no adverse effects.

Anti-Diarrheal Efficacy of Oral Rehydration Solution in GEP-NET Patients

Anti-Diarrheal Efficacy of Oral Rehydration Solution in GEP-NET Patients

Care-Seeking for Diarrhoea in Southern Malawi: Attitudes, Practices and Implications for Diarrhoea Control.

This paper examined care-seeking behaviour and its associated risk factors when a family member had diarrhoea. Data was obtained from a survey conducted in Chikwawa, a district in Southern Malawi. Chikwawa is faced with a number of environmental and socioeconomic problems and currently diarrhoea morbidity in the district is estimated at 24.4%, statistically higher than the national average of 17%. Using hierarchically built data from a survey of 1403 households nested within 33 communities, a series of two level binary logistic regression models with Bayesian estimation were used to determine predictors of care-seeking behaviour. The results show that 68% of mothers used oral rehydration solutions (ORS) the last time a child in their family had diarrhoea. However, when asked on the action they take when a member of their household has diarrhoea two thirds of the mothers said they visit a health facility. Most respondents (73%) mentioned distance and transport costs as the main obstacles to accessing their nearest health facility and the same proportion of respondents mentioned prolonged waiting time and absence of health workers as the main obstacles encountered at the health facilities. The main predictor variables when a member of the family had diarrhoea were maternal age, distance to the nearest health facility, school level, and relative wealth, household diarrhoea endemicity, and household size while the main predictor variables when a child had diarrhoea were existence of a village health committee (VHC), distance to the nearest health facility, and maternal age. Most households use ORS for the treatment of diarrhoea and village health committees and health surveillance assistants (HSAs) are important factors in this choice of treatment. Health education messages on the use and efficacy of ORS to ensure proper and prescribed handling are important. There is need for a comprehensive concept addressing several dimensions of management and proper coordination of delivery of resources and services; availability of adequate healthcare workers at all levels; affordability to accessibility of healthcare resources and services to all communities; acceptability and quality of care; intensification of health education messages on the use and management of ORS, and prompt and timely treatment of diarrhoeal illness.

Oral rehydration therapy in the second decade of the twenty-first century.

Oral rehydration solution (ORS) was established as the cornerstone of therapy for dehydration secondary to acute infectious diarrhea approximately 40 years ago. The efficacy of ORS is based on the ability of glucose to stimulate Na and fluid absorption in the small intestine via a cyclic AMP-independent process. Despite the establishment that ORS is the primary reason for the substantial reduction in morbidity and mortality from diarrhea in children in developing countries, the use of ORS has lagged for many reasons. This review highlights efforts to establish a major reformulation of ORS following the demonstration that short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) stimulate colonic Na and fluid absorption by a cyclic AMP-independent mechanism. The addition of high-amylose maize starch (HAMS), a microbially-fermentable (or ‘resistant’) starch, to ORS results in delivery of non-absorbed carbohydrate to the colon where it is fermented to SCFA. To date, three randomized controlled trials with a HAMS-ORS in south India have demonstrated a substantial decrease in diarrhea duration in both adults and children hospitalized for acute diarrhea. Significant efforts are now underway to establish this dual-action, modified HAMS-hypoosmolar ORS solution as the standard ORS for the treatment of dehydration from acute diarrhea.

Review article: the management of acute gastroenteritis in children

In 2008, the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) and the European Society of Paediatric Infectious Disease (ESPID) developed evidence-based guidelines for the management of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in children in Europe. To summarise data published subsequently to the ESPGHAN/ESPID guidelines. MEDLINE and The Cochrane Library were searched in August 2012 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or their meta-analyses published after 2008. Efforts to improve the taste and/or efficacy of oral rehydration solution (ORS) continue, and some interventions are promising. While standard (over 24h) nasogastric rehydration is still being used, new evidence confirms that rapid (over 4h) rehydration is also effective. For intravenous rehydration, new evidence is available regarding rapid or ultrarapid and large-volume vs. standard-volume rehydration; as the new evidence is not consistent, until more data are available, the administration of 20mL/kg seems appropriate. Convincing evidence has accumulated showing that ondansetron reduces the risk for vomiting; however, a clearance on safety in children is needed. New evidence has reconfirmed that in Europe, where zinc deficiency is rare, there is no benefit from the use of zinc. New data, although mainly from outside of Europe, have reconfirmed that either smectite or racecadotril is an effective adjunctive therapy to oral rehydration. There is a clear effect of using certain probiotics, such as Lactobacillus GG or S. boulardii. The update of current ESPGHAN/ESPID recommendations is warranted.

Oral rehydration salt solution for treating cholera: ≤ 270 mOsm/L solutions vs ≥ 310 mOsm/L solutions

Oral rehydration solution (ORS) is used to treat the dehydration caused by diarrhoeal diseases, including cholera. ORS formulations with an osmolarity (a measure of solute concentration) of ≤ 270 mOsm/L (ORS ≤ 270) are safe and more effective than ORS formulations with an osmolarity of ≥ 310 mOsm/L (ORS ≥ 310) for treating non-cholera diarrhoea. As cholera causes rapid electrolyte loss, it is important to know if these benefits are similar for people suffering from cholera. To compare the safety and efficacy of ORS ≤270 with ORS ≥ 310 for treating dehydration due to cholera. We searched the Cochrane Infectious Disease Group Specialized Register (April 2011), CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library Issue 4, 2011), MEDLINE (1966 to April 2011), EMBASE (1974 to April 2011), and LILACS (1982 to April 2011). We also contacted organizations and searched reference lists. Randomized controlled trials comparing ORS ≤ 270 with ORS ≥ 310 for treating adults and children with acute diarrhoea due to cholera. Two reviewers independently applied eligibility criteria, assessed trial quality, and extracted data. We pooled dichotomous data using risk ratio (RR), pooled continuous data using mean difference (MD) or the standardized mean difference (SMD), and presented the results with 95% confidence intervals (CI). For glucose-based ORS, seven trials (718 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Biochemical hyponatraemia (blood sodium levels < 130 mmol/L) was more common with ORS ≤ 270 (RR 1.67, CI 1.09 to 2.57; 465 participants, four trials), while a higher level of severe biochemical hyponatraemia (blood sodium levels < 125 mmol/L) in the same group was not significant (RR 1.58, CI 0.62 to 4.04; 465 participants, four trials). No instances of symptomatic hyponatraemia or death were noted in the trials that intended to record them. We found no statistically significant difference in the need for unscheduled intravenous infusion. Analyses separating children and adults showed no obvious trends.Two trials also examined rice-based ORS. In the ORS ≤ 270 group, duration of diarrhoea was shorter (MD -11.42 hours, CI -13.80 to -9.04; 102 participants, two trials). In people with cholera, ORS ≤ 270 is associated with biochemical hyponatraemia when compared with ORS ≥ 310, but there are no differences in terms of other outcomes. Although this risk does not appear to be associated with any serious consequences, the total patient experience in existing trials is small. Under wider practice conditions, especially where patient monitoring is difficult, caution is warranted.

ORS Containing Zinc Does Not Reduce Duration or Stool Volume of Acute Diarrhea in Hospitalized Children

The World Health Organization recommends oral zinc (tablets or syrups) as adjunct therapy with oral rehydration solution (ORS) for acute childhood diarrhea. Mixing zinc with ORS can be an attractive approach for simultaneous provision of these 2 effective interventions. This double-masked randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of ORS containing 40 mg/L elemental zinc per liter (zinc-ORS) in reducing stool weight and duration of diarrhea. Five hundred northern Indian children ages 1 to 35 months with diarrhea <7 days' duration were randomized to zinc-ORS or ORS. The primary outcomes were total stool output and time to recovery. The median total stool output was 2.12 g · kg⁻¹ · h⁻¹ (interquartile range [IQR] 0.9-3.76) in the zinc-ORS group compared with 1.78 g · kg⁻¹ · h⁻¹ (IQR 0.83-3.45) in the ORS group. The time to recovery was also similar in the 2 groups (hazard ratio 1.06 [95% confidence interval 0.88-1.27]). In subjects who received zinc-ORS, the median (IQR) zinc intakes were 27 (16-46) mg on day 1, 15 (6-27) mg on day 2, and negligible thereafter. The World Health Organization-recommended daily dose of zinc for diarrhea was not achieved in most children beyond the first day of treatment. This is the likely explanation for the lack of improvement in outcomes from zinc-ORS when compared with ORS alone. Our findings do not support a change from using zinc syrup or dispersible tablets for treatment of acute diarrhea in children.

Acetylated High Amylose Maize Starch Improves the Efficacy of Oral Rehydration Solution in a Rat Model of Cholera

Methods: A whole-gut perfused rat model of cholera-toxin (CT) induced diarrhoea was used to examine the effects of acylated starches in hypotonic ORS on fluid and electrolyte uptake. Three experiments were undertaken: (1) low and high amylose maize starch (LAMS, HAMS) and butyrylated LAMS and HAMS at 50g/L (LAMSB50, HAMSB50); (2) acetylated and propionylated HAMS (HAMSA50, HAMSP50) at 50 g/L; (3) HAMSA at 50, 25 and 10g/L (HAMSA50, HAMSA25, HAMSA10). Control perfusions (no starchCT; LAMS and HAMS -CT, were included.

D-Glucose Acts via Sodium/Glucose Cotransporter 1 to Increase NHE3 in Mouse Jejunal Brush Border by a Na+/H+ Exchange Regulatory Factor 2–Dependent Process

Oral rehydration solutions reduce diarrhea-associated mortality. Stimulated sodium absorption by these solutions is mediated by the Na(+)/H(+) hydrogen exchanger NHE3 and is increased by Na(+)-glucose co-transport in vitro, but the mechanisms of this up-regulated process are only partially understood. Intracellular pH was measured in jejunal enterocytes of wild-type mice and mice with disrupted Na+/H+ exchange regulatory co-factor 2 (NHERF2-/- mice) by multiphoton microscopy. Diarrhea was induced by cholera toxin. Caco-2BBe cells that express NHE3 and the sodium/glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT1) were studied by fluorometry, before and after siRNA-mediated knockdown of NHERF1 or NHERF2. NHE3 distribution was assessed by cell-surface biotinylation and confocal microscopy. Brush-border mobility was determined by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and confocal microscopy. The nonmetabolized SGLT1 substrate α-methyl-D-Glu (α-MD-G) activated jejunal NHE3; this process required Akt and NHERF2. α-MD-G normalized NHE3 activity after cholera toxin-induced diarrhea. α-MD-G-stimulated jejunal NHE3 activity was defective in NHERF2-/- mice and cells with NHERF2 knockdown, but occurred normally with NHERF1 knockdown; was associated with increased NHE3 surface expression in Caco-2 cells, which also was NHERF2-dependent; was associated with dissociation of NHE3 from NHERF2 and an increase in the NHE3 mobile fraction from the brush border; and was accompanied by a NHERF2 ezrin-radixin-moesin-binding domain-dependent increase in co-precipitation of ezrin with NHE3. SGLT1-mediated Na-glucose co-transport stimulates NHE3 activity in vivo by an Akt- and NHERF2-dependent signaling pathway. It is associated with increased brush-border NHE3 and association between ezrin and NHE3. Activation of NHE3 corrects cholera toxin-induced defects in Na absorption and might contribute to the efficacy of oral rehydration solutions.

836 Comparative Efficacy of Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS) Containing Amylase Resistant Starch and Rice Based Oral Rehydration Solution in the Treatment Severely Malnourished Children with Cholera

836 Comparative Efficacy of Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS) Containing Amylase Resistant Starch and Rice Based Oral Rehydration Solution in the Treatment Severely Malnourished Children with Cholera

Scientific rationale for a change in the composition of oral rehydration solution.

Diarrheal diseases remain important causes of death and morbidity in developing countries with an estimated 1.5 billion episodes and 1.5 million to 2.5 million deaths each year among children younger than 5 years. Although the number of children currently dying from diarrhea continues to be unacceptably high it is substantially lower than the 5 million deaths per year estimated 20 years ago. A critical factor in this reduction in diarrhea deaths has been the widespread adoption of oral rehydration solution (ORS) programs for the treatment and prevention of diarrhea-associated dehydration. Indeed ORS has been hailed as one of the most important medical advances of the past century at least in part because of its simplicity low cost and remarkable ease of use. Oral rehydation solution works on the elegantly simple physiologic principle of solute cotransport across the gastrointestinal epithelium. Briefly landmark studies published in 1968 among patients with Vibrio cholera infections demonstrated that although the secretory nature of the diarrhea causes massive stool losses of water and electrolytes sodium-coupled glucose cotransport remains largely intact and continues to stimulate resorption of salt and water. Clinical trials documenting the efficacy of ORS soon followed in the 1970s and 1980s. (excerpt)

Evaluation of the Effects of Varying Solute Content on the Efficacy of Oral Rehydration Solutions in a Rat Model of Secretory Diarrhoea

SummaryA series of in vivo steady‐state perfusion studies in cholera toxin‐induced secreting rat intestine were carried out to investigate net water, sodium, and potassium absorption and water influx and efflux from a range of oral rehydration solutions (ORSs) in which the glucose content had been partially replaced by amino acids or food supplements and the sodium content had been reduced to 60 m M. The reference solution used was the World Health Organization formula. There was a significant correlation between the osmolality of the ORS and the net water absorption (r = −0.911; p &lt; 0.02). The greatest net water absorption occurred using comminuted chicken‐ and tapioca‐supplemented ORS.

Evaluation of the effects of varying solute content on the efficacy of oral rehydration solutions in a rat model of secretory diarrhoea.

A series of in vivo steady-state perfusion studies in cholera toxin-induced secreting rat intestine were carried out to investigate net water, sodium, and potassium absorption and water influx and efflux from a range of oral rehydration solutions (ORSs) in which the glucose content had been partially replaced by amino acids or food supplements and the sodium content had been reduced to 60 mM. The reference solution used was the World Health Organization formula. There was a significant correlation between the osmolality of the ORS and the net water absorption (r = -0.911; p < 0.02). The greatest net water absorption occurred using comminuted chicken- and tapioca-supplemented ORS.

Dominant role for osmolality in the efficacy of glucose and glycine-containing oral rehydration solutions: studies in a rat model of secretory diarrhoea.

The effect of osmolality on the efficacy of oral rehydration solutions (ORS) and the contribution of the amino acid glycine to water absorption from ORS have been studied in an animal model of secretory diarrhoea. After exposure to pure cholera toxin, rat small intestine (excluding the duodenum) was perfused in situ with seven different ORS. All ORS were derived from a "basic" solution containing Na 50, K 25, Cl 75 and glucose 50 mmol/l to which 25 or 50 mmol/l of glycine, glucose, or mannitol was added. All ORS reversed water secretion to absorption, but maximum water absorption was obtained with the "basic" solution with an osmolality of 200 mOsm/kg. When the osmolality of the "basic" solution was raised to 225 and 250 mOsm/kg by adding mannitol, water absorption decreased. At each of these osmolalities, substitution of mannitol by glycine or glucose resulted in similar increases in water absorption, but all modifications compared unfavourably with the "basic" solution. Net sodium secretion occurred with all ORS tested, despite net water absorption. These findings in a perfusion model of rat small intestine suggest that osmolality is a key factor influencing the efficacy of ORS and that addition of a second substrate, such as glycine, has no beneficial effects. Our results suggest that there is a maximal rate for water absorption from the small intestine which is inversely related to the osmolality of the perfusate.

Comparison of rat and human intestinal perfusion models for assessing efficacy of oral rehydration solutions

The optimal composition for oral rehydration solutions remains controversial. Animal models have been used to assess the efficacy of new formulations but the relevance of these studies to the handling of oral rehydration solutions in human intestine during diarrhoeal disease states remains uncertain. Using steady state perfusion techniques we have compared water and solute transport from a variety of oral rehydration solutions in both the entire rat small intestine and in the human jejunum. Overall the pattern of water, sodium and glucose absorption was similar from the three oral rehydration solutions tested, indicating close parallelism between the two models despite the species and methodological differences. Although the relationship between the findings of these studies to the handling of oral rehydration solution in diarrhoeal disease states remains uncertain, we believe they do support the view that animal models may have a part to play in the preliminary screening of oral rehydration solutions before clinical trial.

Evaluation of the efficacy of oral rehydration solutions using human whole gut perfusion.

Whole gut perfusion in humans was used to compare the effect on intestinal water and electrolyte transport of the World Health Organisation oral rehydration solution (solution II, composition in mmol/l: glucose 111, sodium 90, bicarbonate 30, potassium 20; 308 mOsm/kg); a hypertonic commercial oral rehydration solution (solution III, glucose 188, sodium 50, bicarbonate 20, potassium 20 mmol/l; 335 mOsm/kg); and three experimental bicarbonate free, hypotonic oral rehydration solutions: solution IV (glucose 111, sodium 60, potassium 20 mmol/l; 260 mOsm/kg), solution V (glucose 80, sodium 60, potassium 20 mmol/l; 219 mOsm/kg), and solution VI (glucose 80, sodium 30, potassium 20 mmol/l; 177 mOsm/kg). Perfusion of the intestine with a standard cleansing solution (solution I, sodium 125, potassium 10, bicarbonate 20, sulphate 40, mannitol 80 mmol/l; 275 mOsm/kg) confirmed published data on minimal water and sodium absorption. Experimental solution VI produced maximum water absorption (mean (SE) +1660.0 (29.8) ml/h) significantly greater than solution II (+1195.3 (79.5) ml/h), III (+534.7 (140.3) ml/h), IV (+1498.0 (42.7) ml/h), and V (+1327.7 (24.4) ml/h; p less than 0.05). Sodium absorption was significantly greater with solution II (+97.4 (7.9) mmol/h) compared to VI (+43.3 (7.8) mmol/h; p less than 0.01) but not compared to IV (+67.2 (13.0) mmol/h). A hypotonic oral rehydration solution such as solution VI may provide optimal replacement treatment for patients with acute diarrhoea.

Efficacy of oral rehydration solution in correcting serum potassium deficit of children with acute diarrhoea in Bangladesh.

60 children in Bangladesh all under 4 years of age with acute watery diarrhea and moderate dehydration were treated with sucrose based oral rehydration solution (ORS) with 20mEq potassium chloride per liter and monitored to determine the efficacy of this fluid in raising serum potassium level. ORS only was given for the 1st 4 hours and then the child was given diluted mild formula and bread as well. No fruits or potassium rich fluid (e.g. green coconut water) were allowed during the study period. Rehydration as well as maintenance of fluid loss was done with ORS only. The serum potassium dropped significantly at 24 hours from the admission level and remained reduced at that level even after 48 hours of therapy with ORS. Of these 60 patients 22 were hypokalaemic on admission and 10 patients out of 19 remained so after 48 hours of therapy. Thus it appears that the present concentration of potassium in World Health Organization recommended ORS is not sufficient to correct deficits in some patients. The significance of these findings can be appreciated by considering the fate of infants in areas where diarrhea is hyperendemic who may have 3 attacks per year per child on average and who are in addition malnourished. Total potassium depletion may occur in these children during repeated diarrheal episodes resulting in higher morbidity and mortality. These findings suggest the need to raise the potassium concentration in ORS to above 20mEq per liter.

Efficacy of oral rehydration solutions in a rat model of secretory diarrhea.

Controversy continues regarding the ideal composition of glucose/electrolyte solutions used for oral rehydration of infants and children with acute diarrhea. We have used cholera toxin-treated rat small intestine as a model of secretory diarrhea to assess the efficacy of oral rehydration solutions by intestinal perfusion. All solutions tested reversed net water secretion but a hypotonic bicarbonate-free solution was more effective than other solutions, including the World Health Organization oral rehydration solution (p less than 0.003). Net sodium secretion persisted with all solutions tested but there was a significant linear relationship between sodium concentration of the solution perfused and net sodium transport (r = 0.75, p less than 0.05). Cholera toxin treatment alone and in combination with perfusion of oral rehydration solutions significantly reduced plasma sodium concentration and osmolality (p less than 0.05), the effects being most marked with low sodium solutions. Although direct parallelism between observations in this animal model of secretory diarrhea and human diarrheal disease has not been established as yet, the model may be useful in assessing clinical efficacy of new oral rehydration solutions and in systematic analysis of the relative benefits of their individual components.