Pediatric patients with mild gastroenteritis and slight dehydration were found to experience fewer treatment failures when given diluted apple juice followed by the patient's preferred liquid choice to replenish fluid loss when compared to patients who received electrolyte maintenance solution, according to a new study published in JAMA.
For the study, researchers examined data from 647 children between the ages of 6 and 60 months, 644 of whom completed the follow-up. Children who were given diluted apple juice encountered fewer treatment failures than those given electrolyte maintenance solution — 17 percent compared 25 percent. Pediatric patients given apple juice and preferred fluids also received less intravenous rehydration — 2.5 percent compared to 9 percent. The frequency of hospitalization rates, diarrhea and vomiting did not display statistically significant disparities.
The authors suggest that these findings challenge the common practice of routine administration of electrolyte maintenance solution at the onset of diarrhea in children with gastroenteritis.
The study's authors conclude, "In many high-income countries, the use of dilute apple juice and preferred fluids as desired may be an appropriate alternative to electrolyte maintenance fluids in children with mild gastroenteritis and minimal dehydration."
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