Symptomatic Hyponatremia During Treatment of Dehydrating Diarrheal Disease With Reduced Osmolarity Oral Rehydration Solution

CONTEXT: In May 2002, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund recommended that the formulation of oral rehydration solution (ORS) for treatment of patients with diarrhea be changed to one with a reduced osmolarity and that safety of the new formulation, particularly development of symptomatic hyponatremia, be monitored. OBJECTIVE: To measure the rates of symptomatic hyponatremia during treatment of patients with diarrhea with reduced osmolarity ORS. DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PATIENTS: A phase 4 trial conducted at the Dhaka hospital (December 1, 2002-November 30, 2003) and Matlab hospital (February 2, 2003-January 31, 2004) of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh: Centre for Health and Population Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh. All patients admitted with uncomplicated watery diarrhea were…