Management of childhood diarrhoea at the household level: a population-based survey in north-east Brazil.
The management of childhood diarrhoea at the household level was studied in a population-based survey in four states in north-east Brazil. Of a representative sample of 6524 children under 5 years of age, 982 (15.1%) had diarrhoea on the day of the interview or had had diarrhoea at some time during the previous 15 days. A total of 66% of the children were not taken for treatment, while government health services were used by 14%, private doctors by 1%, and traditional healers (rezadeiras) by 24%. Oral rehydration therapy was given to 24.3% of the children as follows: solutions of oral rehydration salts (ORS) were received by 6.8%, salt-and-sugar solutions by 14.7%, and solutions of commercial ORS brands by 4.3%. Although 95% of the caretakers knew about rehydration solutions, only 18% prepared them correctly, the most common error being the use of insufficient water. Of the rehydration solutions used, 39% had a sodium concentration that was potentially dangerous (greater than 120 mmol/l), and 8% had a sodium concentration that was very low. Of those solutions prepared using ORS, 38% had too high a sodium concentration, while 14% of the salt-and-sugar solutions prepared using either the "scoop-and-pinch" approach or a plastic spoon were too concentrated. However, potentially the most dangerous were the salt-and-sugar solutions prepared using nonstandard recipes. More than half of these had an unacceptably high sodium concentration or osmolarity.
Barros
F C
FC
Department of Social Medicine, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil.
Victora
C G
CG
Forsberg
B
B
Maranhão
A G
AG
Stegeman
M
M
Gonzalez-Richmond
A
A
Martins
R M
RM
Neuman
Z A
ZA
McAuliffe
J
J
Branco
J A
JA
D001938:Brazil; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000628:therapy*; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006701:Home Nursing; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015532:Rehydration Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage
D015532:Rehydration Solutions