Is it necessary to use drugs as well as Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT)?
In most cases, no. The diarrhoea will get all right by itself in a day or two. If there is any blood or mucous in the stools, any fever or vomiting, you must see the doctor immediately. Don’t take any medicines yourself, It is important to follow the doctor’s advice. You should also see the doctor if the child’s condition gets worse or if there are any signs of dehydration. Drugs should not be used except in the most severe cases. Even then they should be administered with care, preferably after the organism causing the diarrhoea has been identified. Small children with dysentery and fever require an antibiotic. Refer such patients to a health service for advice. ORT on its own is usually enough to rehydrate the child. Unnecessary antibiotic therapy upsets the normal bacteriological balance of the intestine. Many anti-diarrhoeal preparations have proved to be either ineffective or too powerful for very small infants.
