Skip to main content
Bulletin of the World Health Organization logoLink to Bulletin of the World Health Organization
. 1972;46(3):311–319.

The use of Ringer's lactate in the treatment of children with cholera and acute noncholera diarrhoea

Dilip Mahalanabis, James B Brayton, Arabindo Mondal, Nathaniel F Pierce
PMCID: PMC2480743  PMID: 4537850

Abstract

Two regimens of fluid and electrolyte therapy were studied in children with severe cholera and noncholera diarrhoea. In one, lactated Ringer's solution was the sole intravenous fluid, additional water, glucose, and potassium being given by mouth. In the other, three different intravenous solutions were employed to meet all fluid and electrolyte requirements. The response to therapy was satisfactory with each regimen. Because of prolonged stupor or vomiting about 15% of children treated by the first regimen were unable to ingest a sufficient quantity of glucose solution by mouth, and intravenous supplementation with a hypotonic glucose—saline solution was necessary. It is concluded that lactated Ringer's solution is suitable as the sole intravenous solution for children with acute cholera and noncholera diarrhoea provided oral supplementation, as described, is possible. The study also provides useful observations on the means of evaluating fluid requirements in such children and specific guidelines for such therapy.

Full text

PDF
315

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Griffith L. S., Fresh J. W., Watten R. H., Villaroman M. P. Electrolyte replacement in paediatric cholera. Lancet. 1967 Jun 3;1(7501):1197–1199. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(67)92844-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Gutman R. A., Drutz D. J., Whalen G. E., Jr, Watten R. H. Double blind fluid therapy evaluation in pediatric cholera. Pediatrics. 1969 Dec;44(6):922–931. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Hirschhorn N., Lindenbaum J., Greenough W. B., 3rd, Alam S. M. Hypoglycemia in children with acute diarrhoea. Lancet. 1966 Jul 16;2(7455):128–132. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(66)92421-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Lindenbaum J., Akbar R., Gordon R. S., Jr, Greenough W. B., 3rd, Hirschorn N., Islam M. R. Cholera in children. Lancet. 1966 May 14;1(7446):1066–1068. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(66)91011-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Mahalanabis D., Wallace C. K., Kallen R. J., Mondal A., Pierce N. F. Water and electrolyte losses due to cholera in infants and small children: a recovery balance study. Pediatrics. 1970 Mar;45(3):374–385. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Nalin D. R., Cash R. A. Oral or nasogastric maintenance therapy in pediatric cholera patients. J Pediatr. 1971 Feb;78(2):355–358. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(71)80028-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. PHILLIPS R. A. WATER AND ELECTROLYTE LOSSES IN CHOLERA. Fed Proc. 1964 May-Jun;23:705–712. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Pierce N. F., Banwell J. G., Rupak D. M., Mitra R. C., Caranasos G. J., Keimowitz R. I., Mondal A., Manji P. M. Effect of intragastric glucose-electrolyte infusion upon water and electrolyte balance in Asiatic cholera. Gastroenterology. 1968 Sep;55(3):333–343. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Pierce N. F., Sack R. B., Mitra R. C., Banwell J. G., Brigham K. L., Fedson D. S., Mondal A. Replacement of water and electrolyte losses in cholera by an oral glucose-electrolyte solution. Ann Intern Med. 1969 Jun;70(6):1173–1181. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-70-6-1173. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. WATTEN R. H., MORGAN F. M., YACHAI NA SONGKHLA, VANIKIATI B., PHILLIPS R. A. Water and electrolyte studies in cholera. J Clin Invest. 1959 Nov;38:1879–1889. doi: 10.1172/JCI103965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Wallace C. K., Oleinic A. Fluid therapy of cholera in children. Bull Calcutta Sch Trop Med. 1966 Jan;14(1):18–20. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Bulletin of the World Health Organization are provided here courtesy of World Health Organization

RESOURCES