Assessment of iii-hospital management for children under 2 years of age with acute diarrhea The charts of 159 children under 2 years of age, admitted for acute diarrhea to Hospital Felix Bulnes between May 1985-ApriI 1986, were retrospectively evaluated, Emphasis was given to the route employed to rehydrate them. Infants aged less than 6 months and those with birth weight under 3,000 required more frequent admissions (p < 0.0001). Only 7.3% of patients under 3 months of age were breastfed, in

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... ntrast to 80% of their non-hospitalized peers. On admission, Weight/Age was below 80% of the NCHS standard in 43.7% of patients: this proportion increased to 50% at the time of discharge. Only 4 children (2.5%) were not dehydrated on admission, all had been admited by social reasons. About 90% of dehydrated patients received i.v. fluids. In 17% of admitted children, dehydration was_mild with normal serum sodium and potasium levels: these patients stayed in hospital for + 16.9 days, they lost + 3.5% of their Weight/Age adequacy, and suffered 10 episodes of intercurrent infections while in hospital. This type of patients would benefit from an ORT program, which should reduce their needs for admission, risks of intercurrent diseases and costs of treatment. (