[Oral rehydration therapy: an analysis of its results and impact on the hospitalization and mortality of children with diarrhea].

We present results of four years in oral rehydration therapy (ORT) in the Hospital Infantil del Estado de Sonora. There was 10.2 consults by diarrhoea for day. Children lower of one year old received oral rehydration therapy in 86.8%, were included 11% of prolonged diarrhoea and 32.3% of children with malnutrition. During the procedure diarrhoea there was complicated in 3% with paralytic ileus sepsis and pneumonia. Effectivity of ORT was in 90.9%; 92.8% in light dehydration and 78.7% moderate. Failure in 8.6% was due to vomitus, no acceptation of the oral solution, abundant evacuations and other complication presented. Were observed reduction in hospitalization, rate of 19.2% in 1986 to 38.4% in 1989. The diarrheal mortality decreased in the Urgence Department in 42% and in the Infectology Department in 54%. We considered these results as satisfactory, but are susceptible to better when we diffuse more the oral rehydration therapy in own region.