The Lifesaving Treatment of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) will be added to Caregiver Kits

[Debbie Durham]

Available in May, 10 packets of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) will be added to the list of contents in Caregiver Kits. These life-saving packets will offer a new dimension of care that the Caregivers will be able to provide their patients.

Dehydration caused by diarrhea is the biggest single killer of children in the modern world and diarrhea itself is one of the major causes of nutritional loss and poor growth. ORS replaces lost fluids and essential salts to prevent or treat dehydration. ORS also enables the intestine to absorb the fluid and the salts more efficiently. (http://rehydrate.org, 2009)


Why is diarrhea dangerous?

When a person gets diarrhea, the body begins to lose a lot of water and salts - both of which are necessary for life. If the water and salts are not replaced fast, the body starts to "dry up" or get dehydrated. Severe dehydration can cause death.

What are the symptoms of dehydration?

Symptoms of early or mild dehydration include:
• flushed face
• extreme thirst, more than normal or unable to drink
• dry, warm skin
• cannot pass urine or reduced amounts, dark, yellow
• dizziness made worse when you are standing
• weakness
• cramping in the arms and legs
• crying with few or no tears
• sleepy or irritable
• unwell
• headaches
• dry mouth, dry tongue; with thick saliva.

In severe dehydration, these effects become more pronounced and the patient may develop evidence of hypovolaemic shock, including: diminished consciousness, lack of urine output, cool moist extremities, a rapid and feeble pulse (the radial pulse may be undetectable), low or undetectable blood pressure, and peripheral cyanosis. Death follows soon if rehydration is not started quickly.


Symptoms of moderate to severe dehydration include:
• low blood pressure
• fainting
• severe muscle contractions in the arms, legs, stomach, and back
• convulsions
• a bloated stomach
• heart failure
• sunken fontanelle - soft spot on a infants head
• sunken dry eyes, with few or no tears
• skin loses its firmness and looks wrinkled
• lack of elasticity of the skin (when a bit of skin lifted up stays folded and takes a long time to go back to its normal position)
• rapid and deep breathing - faster than normal
• fast, weak pulse


How does Oral Rehydration Therapy ORT work?

ORT replaces the lost fluids and essential salts thus preventing or treating dehydration and reducing the danger. The glucose contained in ORS solution enables the intestine to absorb the fluid and the salts more efficiently. ORT alone is an effective treatment for 90-95% of patients suffering from acute watery diarrhea, regardless of cause. This makes intravenous drip therapy unnecessary in all but the most severe cases.


How do (Caregivers) use an Oral Rehydration Salts ORS package?

To use one of these packets, mix the contents with 1 quart or liter of drinking water. If drinking water is not available, or if you are not sure the water is drinkable, boil the water for at least 10 minutes.


Can the oral rehydration solution be made with dirty water?

The benefits of fluid replacement in diarrhea far outweigh the risks of using contaminated water to make oral rehydration solution. In situations where it is difficult to boil water, (Caregivers) are advised to use the cleanest water possible.

FAQs and statistics courtesy of: http://rehydrate.org, 2009