Oral rehydration therapy for treatment of rotavirus diarrhoea in a rural treatment centre in Bangladesh.

Abstract

In November 1977, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detecting rotavirus antigen was introduced in the laboratory of a rural treatment centre in Bangladesh. During the next 40 days rotavirus without other pathogens was found in the stools of 216 (45%) of 480 children under age 5 years who visited the centre with a gastrointestinal illness. 188 (87%) of these children were treated with oral rehydration alone, using the solution currently recommended by the World Health Organisation, while 28 (13%) also required some intravenous rehydration; there were no deaths. Oral rehydration treatment was judged successful in 205 (95%) of the rotavirus patients and was not associated with any serious side effects. Oral rehydration treatment, with this solution, has been used extensively and successfully in the treatment of enterotoxin-mediated diarrhoea and can also safely be used for treating rotavirus diarrhoea in infants and young children.

• Authors: P R Taylor, M H Merson, R E Black, A S Mizanur Rahman, M D Yunus, A R Alim, R H Yolken
• Journal: Archives of disease in childhood (Arch Dis Child) Vol. 55 Issue 5 Pg. 376-9 (May 1980) ISSN: 1468-2044 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 6254447 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Bangladesh
• Child, Preschool
• Diarrhea (therapy)
• Female
• Fluid Therapy
• Humans
• Infant
• Infant, Newborn
• Male
• Reoviridae
• Reoviridae Infections (therapy)
• Rotavirus
• World Health Organization