ORAL HYDRATION IN ROTAVIRUS DIARRHŒA: A DOUBLE BLIND COMPARISON OF SUCROSE WITH GLUCOSE ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION

Of 57 male children, aged 5 months to 21/2 years with rotavirus diarrhœa, 28 were given oral therapy with sucrose electrolyte solution and 29 were given glucose electrolyte solution in a randomised double-blind trial. All were rehydrated and remained so on oral therapy alone. These patients were compared with 44 children, also with rotavirus, who were treated only with intravenous hydration. The oral therapy and intravenous therapy groups did not differ clinically in the rate of rehydration or the rate of purging. Vomiting did not prevent the giving of oral therapy during hospital admission. Bangladeshi children with rotavirus diarrhœa have a defect of carbohydrate digestion but this defect does not prevent the use of a sugar electrolyte solution for oral hydration.