Originally Posted By: nursemike
Oral re hydration is effective if you have a motivated patient (or committed coach)-which is probably why one doesn't often see children of paramedics, doctors or nurses in the er with dehydration. It is less effective with sicker patients, younger patients, and ineffective with vomiting patients. One of our physicians recommended a re hydration fluid composed of fruit juice diluted to half strenggth with water, to lower the sugar content, and supplemented with 1 teaspoon of table salt. OJ and apple juice typically have lots more potassium than equivalent volumes of commercial preparations, but he never provided a footnote or journal reference.


Mike:

If IV rehydration simply isn't available, then oral rehydration is really the only game in town, and enjoys the advantage of being a game anyone can play. It can be used effectively in the presence of vomiting, but, as you correctly point out, it takes real persistance, and some patients will still die. Nonetheless, it has been a huge lifesaver, especially in peds, in the third world, and that suggests it will have significant value in austere, post-disaster conditions, as well. Zinc supplementation also showed some promise, if I recall correctly; but I'll have to have my wife research it for me.

Jeff