Comment

King George's Medical University

Improving management of dehydration in children younger than 5 years in low-and-middle-income countries

Awasthi S

Lancet Glob Health. 2016 Oct;4(10):e674-5

Abstract

Globally, diarrhoea is the second most common cause of death in children younger than 5 years.1 About 1·2 billion episodes of diarrhoea occur annually worldwide, resulting in roughly 760 000 deaths in children. WHO defines diarrhoea as more than three loose or liquid stools per day.1 Diarrhoea could be acute watery (lasting for several hours or days as occurs in cholera cases), acute bloody (also known as dysentery), or persistent (lasting for 14 or more days).1 Acute watery diarrhoea results in dehydration, which can cause death.

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