Oral rehydration therapy in a rehydration centre at a teaching hospital in southern Africa.

A study was carried out to delineate the use of oral rehydration therapy (ORT) for gastro-enteritis in a unit that had previously used intravenous therapy (IVT) almost exclusively. Most children with dehydrating gastro-enteritis who were 5% or less dehydrated received ORT initially, while those who were more severely affected were given IVT. The success rate using ORT alone was 73%, which was much lower than that achieved in other studies. Possible factors associated with this poor outcome are discussed. It was concluded that with the exceptions of lactose intolerance and coexisting infection, lack of commitment to ORT and the easy access to IVT must have contributed significantly to the suboptimal outcome.