Common mistakes when mixing ORS to treat diarrhea can cause death in children

The news that a 15-month-old child in Vinh Phuc died of convulsions and brain damage due to improperly drinking ORS to treat diarrhea has shocked many people because of the habit of mixing ORS for children to drink.

A source from Vinh Phuc Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital said that several months ago, the hospital admitted a child with irreversible brain damage due to improper oral rehydration. Doctors performed intensive emergency treatment, but the child's brain was irreversibly damaged. The family asked to take the child home, but he died at home.

Many children are in critical condition due to drinking too concentrated ORS

According to the patient's family, the child had diarrhea, going to the toilet every 30 minutes. Fearing dehydration, the family mixed oral rehydration solution (ORS) for the child to drink. However, the child later went into shock and had convulsions, and was hospitalized with brain damage.

The treating doctor said that the family had mixed the ORS solution for the child to drink too concentrated, not in the correct ratio recommended by the manufacturer. Accordingly, one packet of ORS was instructed to be mixed with 200 ml of water, but the family only mixed it with 50 ml of water. This is the reason why the salt content in the blood increased, causing shock, convulsions, and brain damage.

Previously, the National Children's Hospital also warned about a case of improper oral rehydration solution (ORS) administration that left an 8-month-old baby in critical condition. Specifically, the patient had a high fever, had diarrhea nearly 20 times a day, and was diagnosed with acute diarrhea caused by Rotavirus.

The doctor prescribed medication for the child for outpatient treatment, and gave specific instructions on how to rehydrate the child with ORS and digestive enzymes. However, after 2 days of treatment, the child's diarrhea did not improve, the child was lethargic and slept a lot.

The child was taken to the National Children's Hospital by his family with signs of severe dehydration, impaired consciousness, and lethargy. After examination and testing, the doctor diagnosed the child with severe dehydration due to diarrhea and severe electrolyte disturbances due to hypernatremia (high salt levels in the blood). The cause of hypernatremia was that the family had mixed the ORS solution too concentrated and incorrectly.

Speaking to a reporter from Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper , Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Tien Dung, former head of the Pediatrics Department, Bach Mai Hospital, said that the hospital had received many similar cases due to children drinking ORS that was too concentrated.

According to Associate Professor Dung, when a child has diarrhea, the doctor must prescribe oral rehydration solution (ORS) to compensate for the water loss. If not treated promptly, it will disrupt the body's functions and threaten life. If the ORS is mixed in the right proportion, it will compensate for the salt and electrolytes lost due to diarrhea or high fever.

Experts recommend mixing ORS according to instructions.

However, a very common mistake is that parents mix the ORS too diluted or too concentrated. "If the ORS package is mixed with 200 ml according to the instructions, it is necessary to mix enough water as above to achieve the appropriate osmotic concentration for the child. When mixed too diluted, it will not have the effect of rehydration, the electrolyte supply value will be poor, and if mixed too concentrated with little water, the child will be poisoned by the ORS, the amount of salt in the blood will increase, and the thirst will increase" - Associate Professor Dung noted.

More dangerously, too high a salt content in the blood can also cause symptoms such as convulsions, coma and lead to dangerous brain damage. If not treated promptly, the child may die.

Pediatricians also recommend that parents use boiled water that has been cooled, dissolve the ORS in water before giving it to their children. Do not mix it with milk, soup, fruit juice... and absolutely do not add sugar.

Do not mix ORS with mineral water because this water already contains minerals that will distort the concentration of the medicine. In addition to rehydration and electrolyte replacement with ORS, parents also need to give their children more filtered water, orange juice, lemon juice, and especially need to continuously monitor the child's condition when the child has a fever or diarrhea.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/suc-khoe/sai-lam-pho-bien-khi-pha-oresol-chua-tieu-chay-co-the-khien-tre-tu-vong-20230315224217099.htm