Diarrhea and Dehydration

Because morbidity and mortality associated with diarrhea can be significantly reduced by early hydration, set up ORT units at the onset of almost every disaster relief situation. Very few supplies are needed, and it is easy to train auxiliary personnel in the IMCI approach to ORT.

The supplies needed to set up an ORT unit include a sufficient number of ORS packets, if possible, an adequate amount of drinking water, and the rest of the items previously mentioned.

The staff in charge of the unit must keep records of the patients treated and should be trained to identify cases of severe dehydration and suspected cases of cholera. Such records are essential for surveillance purposes, and the information obtained will prove useful in improving public health interventions in disaster situations.