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Diarrheal illnesses JFK pediatric core curriculum. MGH Center for Global Health Pediatric Global Health Fellowship Credits: Brett Nelson, MD, MPH. Discussion outline. Scope of diarrheal illnesses Pathophysiology Differential diagnosis and workup Strategy for management of diarrhea
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Diarrheal illnessesJFK pediatric core curriculum MGH Center for Global Health Pediatric Global Health Fellowship Credits: Brett Nelson, MD, MPH
Discussion outline • Scope of diarrheal illnesses • Pathophysiology • Differential diagnosis and workup • Strategy for management of diarrhea • Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) • Reduced-osmolarity ORT • Home recipes for ORT • Obstacles to full implementation
Diarrheal illnesses • Diarrhea is second leading cause of childhood mortality globally after ARI
Scope of diarrheal illnesses • In developing countries, children typically have 2-6 diarrheal illnesses each year • ~2.2 million children under age 5 die each year as a result of diarrhea (8,000 children/day) • 1/20 children die from diarrheal disease before age 5 • Other consequences • Impaired nutrition, growth, development, fitness, cognitive, and school performance • Susceptibility to other acute infections
Pathophysiology • Diarrhea is caused by pathogens that include bacteria, protozoa, and viruses • Rapidly drains water and electrolytes from body • Recurrent episodes lead to cycle of malnutrition, anemia, and decreased immune function • Results in severe loss of energy and protein and ultimately death
Differential diagnosis WHO Pocket Book of Hospital Care for Children. Page 111.
Combined strategy for management of diarrhea • Early replacement of fluid losses with appropriate home fluids and oral rehydration therapy (ORT) • Continue/increase feeding and breastfeeding • Recognize signs of dehydration or other concerning symptoms • Antibiotic use only when appropriate • Provide zinc x10-14 days • 10mg daily for patients 2-5 months old • 20mg daily for patients >6 months old
Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) • Sodium and glucose solution for management of acute diarrhea • “Potentially the most important medical advance of this century”1 1. Water with sugar and salt [editorial]. Lancet 1978;2(8084):300-1.
Additional management • To include additional management from WHO pocket book page 111- ………
Strengths of ORT • Broad application: • Simple preparation from readily available ingredients • Locally produced in 60 developing countries • 500 million sachets produced each year • Approximately half of all diarrhea cases in developing countries are now treated with ORT • Inexpensive: <$0.10/sachet • Effective: • ORT alone can successfully treat 90-95% acute diarrheal cases • Since ORT introduction, annual deaths among children with acute diarrhea has fallen from 5 to 2 million deaths • IVFs now only necessary in most severe cases
History of ORT • First researched in 1940s, fully developed 20 years later by cholera researchers in Bangladesh and India • Initially believed that only health professionals in hospitals could mix and administer • During 1971 war between India and Pakistan, shown that ORT could be given by non-medical personnel • Death rate 3% in refugee camps with ORT (versus 20-30% in camps with only IVF) • WHO adopted ORT in 1978 as its primary tool for fighting diarrhea
Physiology of ORT • H20 absorbed by creating osmotic gradient: • Na+ transport coupled to glucose transport on luminal surface in small intestine • Na+ gradient established by actively pumping Na out of cell via Na/K ATPase on basilar surface of cell • H20 subsequently follows Na across intestinal lining
Advantages of reduced-osmolarity ORT • Reduced osmolarity of new ORT decreases symptoms • Stool output reduced by ~20% • Incidence of vomiting decreased by ~30% • Also shorter duration of diarrheal symptoms in some studies • Decreases need for IVFs by 33% • However, has been associated with increased incidence of transient, asymptomatic hyponatremia
Home recipes for ORT • If ORT sachets aren’t readily available, an effective alternative solution can be made using common household ingredients: • 1 liter of clean water (or tea, soups, rice water, fruit juices) • 8 level teaspoons of sugar • 1 level teaspoon of salt
ORT teaching points for parents • Wash yours and child’s hands with soap and water before preparing and before feeding solution • Mix solution in clean pot • Give as much solution as child will take • e.g. 50-100 ml (<2yo) or 100-200 ml (>2yo) after each loose stool and between them • Continue to provide child with other fluids (e.g. breast milk and juices) • If your child vomits, wait ten minutes and give ORS again • If child still needs ORS after 24 hours, make a fresh solution • ORS does not stop diarrhea • ORS prevents dehydration; diarrhea will stop by itself • If diarrhea increases and/or vomiting persists, take child to a health clinic • Provide zinc daily x10-14 days
Obstacles to implementation While ORT saves an estimated 1 million children annually, there are still approximately 2 million preventable childhood deaths annually from diarrhea • ORT requires clean water • Doesn’t greatly reduce the diarrhea • Not useful in setting of chronic or inflammatory diarrheas • Suboptimal acceptance by parents and health care workers • Possibly because too simple? • Over-reliance on anti-diarrheal medications, antibiotics, and IVFs (even though rehydration with IVFs costs 10x more than ORT) • Insignificant profit margin in ORT • Errors can occur in mixing ORT
Conclusions • Diarrheal illnesses are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality • 2nd leading cause of childhood mortality • Management includes continued feeding, ORT, and zinc supplementation • Parents should be instructed in proper preparation and administration of ORT • Simple recipes exist
References • S.K. Hahn, Y.J. Kim, P. Garner. Reduced osmolarity oral rehydration solution for treating dehydration due to diarrhoea in children: systematic review. BMJ 2001, 323:81-5. • Unicef and WHO. Reduced osmolarity oral rehydration salts (ORS) formulation: A report from a meeting of experts jointly organised by UNICEF and WHO. Unicef House, New York, USA, 18 July 2001. • USAID. Diarrhoea treatment guidelines including new recommendations for the use of ORS and zinc supplementation for clinic-based healthcare workers. 2005. www.eddcontrol.org/files/Diarrhoea_Treatment_guidelines_USAID.pdf • WHO. Pocket Book of Hospital Care for Children. http://www.who.int/child_adolescent_health/documents/9241546700/en/index.html • WHO. The treatment of diarrhoea: A manual for physicians and other senior health workers. 2005. http://www.eddcontrol.org/files/Treatment_of_Diarrhoea_manual_WHO.pdf