Rates measuring the use of oral rehydration solutions (ORS): a critical assessment.

In 1990 2 researchers proposed that child health programs should not use the simple oral rehydration solution (ORS) use rate as a program indicator. They pointed out biases in the questionnaires used to measure the ORS use rate in 4 national surveys in Bangladesh and Demographic and Health Surveys from other countries. For example the definition of diarrhea varies within communities. In Bangladesh there are 4 types of diarrhea but the people see each 1 as a different condition requiring different treatment. Further dependent on the season ORT should not be used to treat some forms of diarrhea e.g. dysentery and/or other persistent diarrhea with limited fluid loss. Therefore if a mother is asked if a child has had a…