Efficacy of oral hyposmolar glucose-based and rice-based oral rehydration salt solutions in the treatment of cholera in adults.
BACKGROUND
Recent animal experiments and clinical trials have shown that both osmolarity and rice as the organic components are important factors for net intestinal absorption of an oral rehydration salt solution.


METHODS
In a controlled clinical trial 123 male adult patients with severe cholera, after initial rehydration with intravenous Ringer's lactate solution, were randomly assigned to receive one of the four oral rehydration salt solutions: WHO ORS, ORS containing 70 mmol/l Na+ and 16.2 g/l glucose, rice ORS containing 50 g/l rice and 90 mmol/l Na+, and rice ORS containing 50 g/l rice and 70 mmol/l Na+. All patients received 300 mg of doxycycline as a single dose.


RESULTS
Patients who received rice-low-sodium ORS subsequently had lower (P < 0.05) stool output, ORS consumption, and diarrhoea duration than the other three ORS groups.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that rice-based low-sodium ORS is superior for treating adult cholera.
Bhattacharya
M K
MK
National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Calcutta, India.
Bhattacharya
S K
SK
Dutta
D
D
Deb
A K
AK
Deb
M
M
Dutta
A
A
Saha Choudhury
A
A
Nair
G B
GB
Mahalanabis
D
D
D000328:Adult; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000187:drug effects; D002712:Chlorides / Q000378:metabolism; D002771:Cholera / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005947:Glucose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015532:Rehydration Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification
D018118:Chloride Channels; D002712:Chlorides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D015532:Rehydration Solutions; D012964:Sodium; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D005947:Glucose; D004318:Doxycycline