Editing Diarrhea (section)

===Fluids===
{{See also|Management of dehydration}}
[[File:Cholera rehydration nurses.jpg|thumb|A person consuming oral rehydration solution]]
[[Oral rehydration therapy|Oral rehydration solution (ORS)]] (a slightly sweetened and salty water) can be used to prevent dehydration. Standard home solutions such as salted rice water, salted yogurt drinks, vegetable and chicken soups with salt can be given. Home solutions such as water in which cereal has been cooked, unsalted soup, green coconut water, weak tea (unsweetened), and unsweetened fresh fruit juices can have from half a teaspoon to full teaspoon of salt (from one-and-a-half to three grams) added per liter. Clean plain water can also be one of several fluids given.<ref name=WHOtreatmentdiarrhoea2005/> There are commercial solutions such as [[Pedialyte]], and relief agencies such as [[UNICEF]] widely distribute packets of salts and sugar. A WHO publication for physicians recommends a homemade ORS consisting of one liter water with one teaspoon salt (3 grams) and two tablespoons sugar (18 grams) added<ref name=WHOtreatmentdiarrhoea2005/> (approximately the "taste of tears"<ref name=2010WorldCupTravellersGuide>[https://www.who.int/topics/test/food_safety/safe_food_travel.pdf A Guide on Safe Food for Travellers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709034248/http://www.who.int/topics/test/food_safety/safe_food_travel.pdf |date=9 July 2012 }}, Welcome to South Africa, Host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup (bottom left of page 1).</ref>). Rehydration Project recommends adding the same amount of sugar but only one-half a teaspoon of salt, stating that this more dilute approach is less risky with very little loss of effectiveness.<ref name=RehydrationProject>Rehydration Project, {{cite web |url=http://rehydrate.org/ |title=Diarrhoea, Diarrhea, Dehydration, Oral Rehydration, Mother and Child Nutrition, Water, Sanitation, Hygiene – Rehydration Project |access-date=22 June 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608064953/http://rehydrate.org/ |archive-date=8 June 2015 }} Homemade Oral Rehydration Solution Recipe.</ref> Both agree that drinks with too much sugar or salt can make dehydration worse.<ref name=WHOtreatmentdiarrhoea2005/><ref name=RehydrationProject/>

Appropriate amounts of supplemental zinc and potassium should be added if available. But the availability of these should not delay rehydration. As WHO points out, the most important thing is to begin preventing dehydration as early as possible.<ref name=WHOtreatmentdiarrhoea2005/> In another example of prompt ORS hopefully preventing dehydration, CDC recommends for the treatment of cholera continuing to give Oral Rehydration Solution during travel to medical treatment.<ref name=CDCmanualCholera>[https://www.cdc.gov/haiticholera/pdf/chw_trainingmaterialsforcholera.pdf Community Health Worker Training Materials for Cholera Prevention and Control] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020070810/http://www.cdc.gov/haiticholera/pdf/chw_trainingmaterialsforcholera.pdf |date=20 October 2011 }}, CDC, slides at back are dated 17 November 2010. Page 7 states "...{{nbsp}} Continue to breastfeed your baby if the baby has watery diarrhea, even when traveling to get treatment. Adults and older children should continue to eat frequently."</ref>

Vomiting often occurs during the first hour or two of treatment with ORS, especially if a child drinks the solution too quickly, but this seldom prevents successful rehydration since most of the fluid is still absorbed. WHO recommends that if a child vomits, to wait five or ten minutes and then start to give the solution again more slowly.<ref name=WHOtreatmentdiarrhoea2005/>

Drinks especially high in simple sugars, such as [[soft drinks]] and fruit juices, are not recommended in children under five as they may ''increase'' dehydration. A too rich solution in the gut draws water from the rest of the body, just as if the person were to drink sea water.<ref name=WHOtreatmentdiarrhoea2005/><ref name=NICE2009>{{cite web|title=Management of acute diarrhoea and vomiting due to gastroenteritis in children under 5|url=http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG84|work=National Institute of Clinical Excellence|date=April 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090802094158/http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG84|archive-date=2 August 2009}}</ref> Plain water may be used if more specific and effective ORT preparations are unavailable or are not palatable.<ref name=NICE2009/> Additionally, a mix of both plain water and drinks perhaps too rich in sugar and salt can alternatively be given to the same person, with the goal of providing a medium amount of sodium overall.<ref name=WHOtreatmentdiarrhoea2005/> A [[nasogastric tube]] can be used in young children to administer fluids if warranted.<ref name=Webb2005>{{cite journal | vauthors = Webb A, Starr M | title = Acute gastroenteritis in children | journal = Australian Family Physician | volume = 34 | issue = 4 | pages = 227–31 | date = April 2005 | pmid = 15861741 }}</ref>