Oral rehydration therapy for diarrhea for children or adults

When having diarrhea, the large intestine is excreting water instead of absorbing water. Simply drinking water will not be sufficient to prevent dehydration. In severe diarrhea, you cannot drink enough water to keep hydrated. This is why people die from diarhhea.

However, there is a formula that can save your life. It's a simple formula and takes advantage of a solution that causes the body to quickly absorb fluids. The formula is called various things: Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT), Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), Oral Rehydration Solution (also ORS)

It is best to have the solution from your pharmacy or convenience store if it is available. Do NOT use sport drinks to maintain hydration from diarrhea, they can make the situation worse because the concentrations are wrong, and can actually cause you to lose more water than you ingest.

Here's the formula that will save you or your child's life in an emergency:

Emergency Diarrhea Rehydration formula:
1 liter (litre or quart) of water, one handful of sugar, one 3-finger pinch of salt.

The formula approximately equates to 8 LEVEL teaspoons of sugar and 1 LEVEL teaspoon of salt.

If possible, one-half cup of orange juice OR half of one mashed banana should be added to each liter both to add potassium and to improve taste.

That simple formula has reduced the fatality rate of diarrhea by more than 50% in developing countries. The cost for oral hydration (Oral Rehydration Therapy) is about 8 cents per child per day.

Keep drinking:

How much?

In the first 4 to 6 hours based on body weight:
Up to 5 kg (11 lb) :  200 –  400 ml ( 1- 2 cups)
5-10 kg (11-22 lb) :  400 –  600 ml ( 2- 3 cups)
10-15 kg (22-33 lb):  600 –  800 ml ( 3- 4 cups)
15-20 kg (33–44 lb):  800 – 1000 ml ( 4- 4 cups) (4 cups is approximately 1 liter)
20-30 kg (44-66 lb): 1000 – 1500 ml ( 4- 6 cups)
30-40 kg (66-88 lb): 1500 – 2000 ml ( 6- 8 cups)
40 plus kg (88 lb) : 2000 - 4000 ml ( 8-16 cups) (2 to 4 liters)

Respond to this topic here on forum.oes.org

This may have saved many people. It is cheap and effective.

Thank you for publishing this.

This was written (at this point) more than 16 years ago!
Nice to see someone found it and more importantly hopefully found it useful

To reiterate:
1 liter of water
1 handful of sugar
1 3 finger pinch of salt

In US measurements, 8 LEVEL teaspoons of sugar and 1 LEVEL teaspoon of salt.

Good luck! :hearts:

You're welcome

Ron wrote:

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