Dangers for children when electrolytes are not replenished properly

Children's health and life will be threatened if parents overdose on electrolytes.

Oresol is used quite commonly, especially with children. When children have diarrhea, fever or vomiting, parents often use this medicine to replenish water and electrolytes. However, using the medicine incorrectly will cause many serious consequences.

The Pediatric Clinic, Saint Paul Hospital, Hanoi, once admitted a 20-month-old boy with fever, convulsions, and agitation. After examining and learning the medical history, the doctor discovered that the boy had diarrhea and his mother had given him an Oresol solution but mixed it in the wrong concentration.

Children with diarrhea and dehydration, if not treated promptly, will cause disorders in the body's functions, even threatening their lives. Oresol with ingredients of salt and sugar, when mixed correctly and drunk correctly, will compensate for the lost water and help children recover.

However, if the medicine is mixed more concentrated than recommended, the salt content in the patient's blood will increase, causing hypertonicity, osmotic pressure in the blood higher than normal, will "suck" water from the cells into the interstitial space, causing the cells to lose water and "shrink". At this time, the child will have wrinkled, dry skin, sunken eyes. Brain cells "shrink" causing the child to have convulsions, high fever, restlessness, and possibly coma. If not treated promptly, the child is very likely to die.

Children's health and lives will be threatened if parents rehydrate their children incorrectly.

Notes when using electrolyte rehydration medicine for children

Use the correct dosage as prescribed.

Use only the diluted solution within 24 hours, store carefully to avoid contamination.

Do not split the package for use. This will cause the ingredients to be inconsistent and cause volume confusion when mixing.

Do not boil the prepared solution, it may cause loss of medicinal properties, evaporation, and increased osmosis.

Do not mix with mineral water, it will change the concentration, only use boiled and cooled filtered water.

Monitor your child's symptoms such as dehydration, response to medication... When severe or unusual signs appear, parents need to take their child to a medical facility for timely treatment.

According to Zing