Role of Fluid Resuscitation and Supportive Management of Diarrhea

Abstract

The pediatric population is sensitive in every aspect. There are several parts of their bodies that need extreme levels of care and support until these children have reached a mature age. Similarly, there are several aspects of health that require immediate and urgent intervention, particularly in the pediatric population for better care and management. The reason behind this is the delicate and sensitive nature of the children’s health. Compromising any aspect of pediatric care might lead to severe consequences, which could be life-threatening too. Therefore, it is in the best interest of both the parents of the children and the physicians to be vigilant about the affected children’s symptoms just so they do not miss out on any important signs that could be transient or short-lived. Diarrhea is among the pediatric conditions that can very easily take a turn for the worse if it is not managed appropriately. Diarrhea can lead to severe consequences, including death in children, especially the malnourished ones. Diarrhea results in the excessive excretion of water, and electrolytes including sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, and zinc through watery stools. Dehydration ensues when these losses are not sufficiently replenished, leading to deficits in both water and electrolytes. The extent of dehydration is categorized based on symptoms and signs that mirror the quantity of fluid expelled. Depending upon these extents and degrees of dehydration, performing immediate resuscitation measures might be necessary. Among these measures, oral rehydration therapy is considered to be one of the most useful ones. It helps replenish the electrolytes rapidly and without causing any life-threatening consequences, especially when done within the specified time. On the brighter side, these fluid resuscitative measures might be the only interventions required to stop the child's progression further towards a severe form of the disease. This review is based on this fact only, and it revolves around the importance of performing fluid resuscitation and other elementary-level supportive measures that might be the only shot at saving the life of the child if done at an early stage. Thai review will help take action under the right circumstances if such a case arises in the clinical setting.