Patient management
dehydration, Dehydration, diarrhea
DEHYDRATION, EVENTS, DEHYDRATION
If any child vomited within 10 minutes of oral intake, we repeated the similar dose for consumption after an hour of rejection. If the child vomited again within 10 minutes of previous intake, we stopped giving the intervention further. A structured questionnaire was administered at the time of enrollment to mothers to collect information on demographics, socio-economic context, clinical features and antimicrobial use prior to hospitalization and during hospitalization. Study physicians took detailed medical history of the enrolled children to determine the duration and type of diarrhea and stool frequency. Physical examination was conducted on enrollment and on the last follow-up day of 7-day observation period. Nutritional status of the study children was also measured using the standard procedures. Dehydration was assessed according to the WHO guidelines followed in the hospital [Our study staff member kept observing and monitoring vital clinical parameters of the study participants at periodic intervals round the clock (24 hours) during their hospital stay. To ensure proper patient care, they maintained a roster duty with staff members. Study physicians were responsible for consenting as well as clinical assessments related to their health status, including improvements of their dehydration status and provided treatment. Apart from that they also provided treatment for other illness, when required. Study nurses were accountable for keeping vital signs and providing study drug to the children in front of their parents or caregivers at hospital and community with appropriate dose and on schedule time. They also closely monitored the participants for any unwanted events and informed study physicians.The study consisted of 7-days intervention period followed by observation period of 7 days (in total 14 days). We discharged the study children from the hospital as soon as dehydration was corrected and there was improvement of the concurrent illness. Sometimes on request we allowed the parents or caregivers to take away their children from hospital before complete recovery from diarrhea, if the child was playful and there was no dehydration. Our study nurses along with field organizers visited the household of the study participants and monitored the vital signs of the study children twice daily. They also measured the stool output every 8 hours interval at home during the intervention period of 7 days and once daily during the observation period for next 7 days.