To correct the energy balance and restore the electrolyte balance in the body, the drug "Rehydron" is used, which is a combined drug. It stabilizes the water-electrolyte balance, disturbed as a result of extensive diarrhea or severe dehydration for any other reason. The drug is released in the form of a powder placed in bags of aluminum foil, which are packed in cardboard packs of 4 or 20 pieces each. 1 sachet contains: sodium chloride 3.50 g, sodium citrate 2.90 g, potassium chloride 2.50 g, dextrose 10.0 g. The white crystalline preparation dissolves well in water. Before taking, a rehydron solution is prepared, transparent, colorless, odorless and characterized by a salty-sweet taste.
How to use rehydron? The powder (bag) is dissolved in 1 liter of water, which is pre-boiled and cooled. The solution should have room temperature, it is stirred before use. The drug is indicated for use under the following conditions: the need to restore the patient’s water-electrolyte balance, acute diarrhea (including cholera). It is also used to correct acidosis, to alleviate the symptoms of heat stroke, and to prevent physical and heat stress with intense sweating. Rehydron is also used for poisoning, with mild to moderate degrees of dehydration caused by acute diarrhea and characterized by a weight loss of 3 to 10%.
The finished solution is drunk in small sips after each attack of diarrhea. Before treatment, the patient is weighed and weight changes are monitored until recovery. In the first 10 hours of treatment, the patient is given a solution 2 times the lost mass. Children older than three years and adults drink from 500 ml to 1000 ml of solution, then 200 ml immediately after each diarrhea. If diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting, then rehydron is taken with vomiting after 10 minutes.
It must be remembered that the drug has a number of contraindications, so all warnings should be read in the instructions. Patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, kidney failure, or other chronic diseases require close monitoring during rehydron therapy, including hospitalization. The same serious contraindications are unconsciousness, intestinal blockage or hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.
If the doctor prescribes rehydron for vomiting or poisoning, then all the medicines that the patient is currently taking or taking (including herbs, tinctures and drinks) are reported. This is an important point, since interaction with other drugs is of great importance for alleviating the symptoms of a disease state and eliminating the risks of its aggravation. Rehydron can affect other substances that change their properties in the acidic environment of the stomach. Therefore, you should not take this medicine on your own, you need to consult a doctor and make sure that a possible combination with other drugs will be safe.
In severe dehydration, when weight loss exceeds 10%, intravenous infusions are performed to rehydrate . After that, rehydron is used to treat diarrhea. The patient should be aware of all possible side effects that may occur when taking rehydron with vomiting or other dehydration symptoms. You should also remember that for different people, this medicine will act differently. But in any case, patients should not exceed the recommended dose. In case of an overdose, hypernatremia may develop (a condition where, due to the loss of electrolytes and water, an increase in the concentration of sodium ions in the blood is observed). Symptoms of hypernatremia: drowsiness, weakness, confusion, neuromuscular agitation, respiratory arrest or coma.
Patients with impaired renal function should take rehydron with vomiting or with other symptoms of dehydration with caution, since metabolic alkalosis (an increase in blood and tissue pH due to the accumulation of alkaline metabolic products) is possible. Metabolic alkalosis can lead to difficulty breathing, neuromuscular agitation, tetanus, and seizures. In the event of a severe overdose with severe consequences, the use of rehydron is discontinued. Correction of fluid and electrolyte balance should be based on information obtained from laboratory studies.