Oral Rehydration Solution Saves Lives

     But it does not taste so good.

     I have mentioned oral rehydration solution (ORS) as an important treatment for diarrheal diseases, particularly cholera. When we visited Diony’s neighborhood after we learned of his uncle’s death from diarrhea, I gave Diony my box of Pedialyte. He gave them to his family and explained how to use them and what the treatment was for (see 10-31-13 post). A week later Diony told me how his cousin used the Pedialyte and was “cured”. “A miracle”, they said. No, I explained to Diony. Be sure to tell them that Pedialyte is ORS. It is not a cure for cholera or any other diarrheal disease. It replaces the fluid and salts that the sick patient loses from the diarrhea. It treats the symptoms, but does not cure the illness. But the patient usually gets better, as did Diony’s cousin.

Diony, Benoit and Dr. Taina explaining the dangers of
diarrhea and the importance of ORS treatment
to a meeting of the Christianville school PTA

     The British medical journal, The Lancet, described ORS as "potentially the most important medical advance of this (20th) century." ORS contains glucose and that is the key to helping your body absorb the salts that are in ORS. Common sports drinks use the same principle as ORS to replace lost fluids and electrolytes when you sweat. But sports drinks have more sugar and less sodium. The extra sweetness makes the sports drink more palatable. ORS is saltier and less sweet than sports drinks. I know. I am drinking some ORS right now and it does not taste like your standard sports drink. It is saltier and not sweet at all. 

     So why am I drinking ORS? We went to the beach at Grand Goâve yesterday afternoon. We had some beers and fruit drinks and someone ordered lambi (conche) with plantains. I love lambi. So I ate some. That was the source of my problem today. I will spare you the details but this morning after I woke up I just felt tired and weak. I ate some breakfast and worked in the lab. I still felt tired. I had a little rice for lunch and went back to the house to take a nap. I slept for about an hour. I got up and still felt tired and sweaty. I had a bout of diarrhea and felt really weak after that. I laid down again for a while to get my strength back. I walked over to the lab. I saw Meer and another person who had shared the lambi with us yesterday. When I asked how they felt, that’s when they admitted that they both had diarrhea last night or today (I guess it’s not just Haitians who are shy about admitting they have diarrhea). Meer sent someone to the clinic for some ORS packets. I made a liter and here I am drinking my ORS. And I feel a whole lot better. I am not eating any more lambi at that beach again. That was a rookie mistake.

ORS packets from Hind Pharma