Rehydrate and electrolytes for children with diarrhea properly

1. What are the effects of rehydration and electrolyte drugs in acute diarrhea?

Rehydration and electrolyte preparations, regardless of brand name (oresol, hydride …) or additional flavor, all include the following ingredients: Na, K, CI… These are substances Suitable for replacing lost water and electrolytes.

The drug is used in the following cases: Diarrhea, vomiting a lot, high fever, or when doing sports, people who work hard or sweat a lot…

For acute diarrhea in children, adding water and electrolytes is the first thing in the treatment process.

In acute diarrhea, more potassium is lost in children than in adults. Therefore, when water and electrolytes are supplemented through oresol solution, it helps the child’s body to compensate for this lost potassium. Timely addition of solution also works to overcome the risk of metabolic acidosis caused by dehydration. When signs of diarrhea occurs, if timely rehydration and electrolytes are avoided, damage and risk of requiring interventional measures such as intravenous infusion are avoided.

Although oresol is quite benign and safe for most cases, it also has some side effects such as mild nausea (especially when acute diarrhea is often accompanied by vomiting); Hypernatremia or shock, heart failure due to excessive rehydration (especially through the IV line). However, these cases are very rare.

So how to properly replenish electrolytes?

2. How to add water and electrolytes safely and effectively

– When mixing oresol, it is necessary to follow the correct ratio of the manufacturer. If the mixture is thicker or thinner than the recommended ratio, the osmotic pressure of oresol will change, making the intestines unable to absorb water, but also making diarrhea worse. Therefore, it is necessary to use accurate measuring instruments.

– The reconstituted solution is only used for 24 hours, if there is any left over, throw it away, rinse the container and prepare a new pack. Therefore, for children, it is recommended to choose a small package of oresol, mixed with 200ml of water instead of a pack mixed with 1000ml of water.

– Only mix oresol with cooled boiled water, do not use mineral water. Because in mineral water there are electrolyte ions, it will distort the ratio of electrolytes in the solution. The oresol solution should not be boiled after reconstitution.

– Do not mix oresol with other types of water such as milk, juice, broth, porridge… because it will change the composition as well as the effect of the drug.

– Before drinking, stir or shake the oresol solution well, it is recommended to drink this solution instead of water throughout the day.

DRAWoh young mild dehydration, drink solution electrolytes are as follows:

– Children under 2 years old drink 50ml after each diarrhea. It can be divided into several times, not forcing the child to drink at the same time because it scares the child, but try to make up for about 100-200ml of solution/day.

– Children from 2-6 years old, encourage children to drink from 100ml/time, 2-3 times a day.

– Children from 6-10 years old, drink 150ml/time, 2-3 times a day.

– Children over 10 years old encourage children to drink oresol until the feeling of thirst is gone, drinking in small sips.

Note: In the process of taking oresol, if the child vomits, wait patiently for about 10 minutes and then continue to give it to the child. But you should drink slowly with small sips.

DRAWChildren with moderate dehydration need to drink solution electrolyte compensation within 4 hours as follows:

– Children under 5kg need to supplement 200-400ml.

– Children from 5 to under 8kg need 400-600ml supplement.

– Children weighing from 8 to under 11kg need to drink from 600-800ml.

– Children weighing from 11 to under 16kg need to drink from 800-1200ml.

– Children weighing from 16 to under 20 kg need to drink from 1200-2200ml.

Or you can apply the calculation method: Child’s weight x 75ml will give the amount of oresol to supplement for children in 4 hours.

Note: For children under 2 years old, it is necessary to give oresol to children with a small spoon, drink it slowly. Breastfed babies continue to breastfeed or breastfeed more often.

Older children can be given small sips.

Stop taking oresol immediately if your child’s eyelids are swollen or if the child vomits a lot and cannot drink.

If the child does not improve after 3 days of taking the medicine, or other signs appear such as more bowel movements, vomiting, blood in the stools or poor appetite, it is necessary to immediately go to a medical facility for examination.

For children with severe dehydration, they need to be treated at a medical facility.

In addition to water and electrolytes, children still need adequate nutrition. Although it is necessary to avoid giving children foods that are difficult to digest during this period, they should not be carried too much, leading to malnutrition after diarrhea.

Parents need to pay attention to the preparation of liquid and soft foods that are easy to digest but still have to provide adequate nutrients. It is possible to supplement children with supporting products such as lysine, micronutrients such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins. These micronutrients help to provide nutritional needs in children and aid in digestion and improvement. Anorexia in children during diarrhea.