Glucose vs sucrose in oral rehydration solutions for infants and young children with rotavirus-associated diarrhea.
The use of oral rehydration solutions containing essential electrolytes and either glucose or sucrose of equal osmolality was compared in a double-blind sequential trial of 784 children with rotavirus-associated diarrhea treated at a center in rural Bangladesh. The oral fluid failure rate was 11.5% for the sucrose-containing solution group and 7.3% for the glucose-containing group (P = NS). Vomiting was a significantly more common cause of failure for the group treated with sucrose-containing oral rehydration solution and was associated with an increased rate of intake of the sweeter sucrose-containing solution. The purging rate was not different for the two groups. The oral fluid failure rates for children in the most underweight category (less than 60% of expected weight for age) were not different from those for other groups, although, as assessed by purging rate and initial dehydration, the stool losses of members of this group constituted a greater proportion of their body weight. Glucose is the preferred carbohydrate for oral electrolyte solutions, although sucrose can be substituted with only minimum loss of efficacy.
D002675:Child, Preschool; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005947:Glucose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012088:Reoviridae Infections / Q000628:therapy*; D012401:Rotavirus; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D013395:Sucrose; D005947:Glucose