These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Rice-ORS shortens the duration of watery diarrhoeas. Observation from rural Bangladesh.
    Author: Rahman AS, Bari A, Molla AM.
    Journal: Trop Geogr Med; 1991; 43(1-2):23-7. PubMed ID: 1750120.
    Abstract:
    In rural Bangladesh, standard glucose based oral rehydration salt (glucose-ORS) and rice based oral rehydration salt (rice-ORS) were compared as domiciliary treatment for watery diarrhoea. Using identical supply systems, packaged glucose-ORS was provided in one area and packets of rice-ORS in another. Mothers of under-five children in each area were trained in the preparation and use of the respective ORS. A third area, where no ORS was provided from the study source, served as comparison. In two years of surveillance and follow-up about 10,000 diarrhoeal episodes were detected in each area, approximately one-third of which were watery diarrhoea. Rice-ORS alone was used to treat 74% of these episodes and glucose-ORS alone for 65% of the episodes in the respective areas. Drugs were the main treatment regimen used in the comparison area. Results of the study showed that rice-ORS treated episodes of watery diarrhoea ended with shorter duration (median duration 2 days vs. 4 days) and fewer hospitalisation (0.1% vs. 0.5%) compared to those treated with glucose-ORS. These differences were statistically significant. But, diarrhoeal mortality was unaffected by the use of either ORS under the study situation. Seven villages from a diarrhea endemic area in Bangladesh with a total population of 10,450 were divided into 3 areas having almost equal populations. Single packets of glucose-based oral rehydration salt (glucose-ORS) (containing 1.75 g of sodium chloride, 1.25 g of sodium bicarbonate, 0.75 g of potassium chloride, and 10 g of glucose) were supplied in one area (glucose-ORS area). In another area (rice-ORS area), twin packets of rice-based oral rehydration salt (rice-ORS) were provided and were compared as domiciliary treatment for watery diarrhea. A 3rd area, where no ORS was provided, served as comparison. Mothers of under-five children in each are were trained in the ORS preparation and instructed to give ORS solution and continue breast feeding during diarrhea. The study was conducted for 24 months from November 1983 to October 1985 with once-a-week diarrhea surveillance and daily case follow-up in all areas. About 10,000 diarrheal episodes were detected in each area, with an overall attack rate of 1.5/person/year, approximately one-third of which were waters diarrhea. Rice-ORS alone was used to treat 74% of these episodes and glucose-ORS alone for 65% of the episodes in the respective areas. Drugs were the main treatment regimen used in the comparison area. Age-specific attack rate for watery diarrhea was highest in under-five children. The median duration was shortest (2 days) for rice-ORS treated episodes of watery diarrhea with fewer hospitalizations (0.1% vs. 0.5%) compared to those treated with glucose-ORS (4 days) or drugs (7 days). These differences were statistically significant. The ORS in each intervention area was used, either alone or with drugs, to treat 91% of the episodes. In the comparison area, only 7% of episodes were treated with either home made salt-sugar solution or sugar-ORS packets from non-study sources. The rice-ORS therapy alone had the highest recovery and lowest hospitalization rate.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]