title: [Concepts of health personnel in relation to the management of acute diarrhea].
abstract: With the objective of gaining more knowledge on the concepts of management of acute diarrhea in children from health personnel, a study was designed and carried out in two Central American countries. The sample was composed of pediatric residents, general practitioners, registered nurses and assistant nurses. A special form was designed and field workers were trained for this purpose. A total of 389 health personnel was interviewed. The results showed that there is a good knowledge on morbidity and mortality from diarrheal disease in children, less knowledge on the etiology of the disease and very little knowledge on the composition of oral rehydration solutions. Also there is no standard criterion on the use of drugs, being the general practitioners and nurses who have more wrong concepts. The factors most mentioned for non-acceptance of oral rehydration therapy (ORT) are little promotion of ORT, that the rehydration salts are not available in every place, that mothers do not accept ORT and that ORT seems a non-scientific therapy.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Blanco
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003967:Diarrhea; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D006166:Guatemala; D006721:Honduras; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
vernacular_title: Conceptos del personal de salud acerca del manejo de la diarrea aguda.