Diarrhoea has taken an alarming turn in the capital with a large number of patients being admitted to hospitals every day amid hot weather.

International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) has been witnessing a huge rush of diarrhoea patients since March 7 with an average of 1,100 patients being admitted to the hospital daily.

Sources at the icddr,b said around 45 diarrhoea patients took admission per hour in the last 15 hours since 12noon till 3pm on Friday.

It said some 1,176 patients were admitted to the icddr,b Dhaka hospital on March 24; 1,233 on March 23; 1,272 on March 22; 1,216 on March 21; 1,157 on March 20; 1,135 on March 19; 1,174 on March 18; 1,141 on March 17 and 1,057 on March 16.

From the end of the first week of this March month, on average 500 patients were admitted to the icddr,b every day, which increased to 600 in the second week and it has risen to over 1,000 since March 17, the sources mentioned.

The icddr’b hospital is now overflowing with diarrhoea patients as the hospital authorities have set up extra tent for accommodating additional number of patients.

Caution for Diarrhoea:

1.Must drink safe and boiled water

2. Must be very careful about taking outside food, especially which are served in unhealthy environments.

3. Lemonade, sugarcane juice, fruit which are being sold in the roadside should be avoided.

4. It is wise to carry safe water whiling in outside

Some misconceptions about Diarrhoea and what to be done

Diarrhoea is a very common problem in summer. Most Diarrhoea disappears automatically. But there are still misconceptions about taking Orsaline, eating and even its treatment:

1. Does high blood pressure patient can drink Orsaline?

Patients with high blood pressure suffer from the confusion about taking Orsaline in case of Diarrhoea as saline contains salt. They fear that Orsaline may increase blood pressure which is a serious misconception. Every time water and salt excreted from the body and the patient becomes dehydrated and even may die due to low blood pressure. Orsaline is not contraindicated for the reasons of high blood pressure.

2. Can patients with diabetes eat Orsaline?

Orsaline contains sugar or glucose. So, diabetic patients are afraid of taking Orsaline thinking that it may affect sugar level. But it should be keept in mind that the little sugar or glucose in Orsaline is not harmful for diabetic patients.

3. How much water can a Kidney patient drink while suffering from Diarrhoea?

Many kidney patients having Diarrhoea are confused about taking water as doctors advised them not to drink excess liquid. But it should keep in mind that excess water is being excreted from the body during Diarrhoea which leads to dehydration and kidney disease. So, extra fluids need to be taken in fit cases.

4. Can Diarrhoea patients take normal food?

Many Diarrhoea patients suffer from confusion whether they should eat normal food or not. There is no obstacle to eating normal and easily digestible food like rice, fish, vegetables etc. A mother must not stop breastfeeding to baby under any circumstances.

5. Is one packet of saline enough for the whole day?

How much saline you need to drink depends on how often you go to toilet. A person can lose more than one and a half liters of water in just a few hours due to Diarrhoea. The simplest calculation is to eat saline after each occasion and to eat it again and again in small portions throughout the day. Apart from this, water and liquid food like soup, coconut water etc must be taken throughout the day.

6. Is it necessary to take medicine to stop vomiting or loose motion?

Vomiting or loose motion may occur due to food poisoning. People naturally take medicine from the pharmacy to stop vomiting or loose motion wrongly. Taking medicine without prescription of a doctor is harmful.

7. Is taking antibiotic urgent?

Antibiotics are not necessary in all cases. It is necessary to fill the body with salt and water. It is discretion of the doctor to determine necessity of antibiotic.

8. Is it necessary to take intravenous saline?

Many are afraid of taking saline intravenously. If the level of diarrhea is severe, it is not possible to recover the dehydration by just drinking saline. So, saline should be taken intravenously.

Source: Daily Sun

BDST: 2037 HRS, MAR 27, 2022
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