Oral Rehydration Salts

Registered South African indications:

• Dehydration

Contraindications

• Hypersensitivity to glucose, potassium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, sucrose or any of the inactive ingredients
• Renal failure manifesting as oliguria or anuria, intestinal obstruction, and paralytic ileus
• Severe diarrhoea where parenteral fluid therapy is required, such as severe dehydration or intractable vomiting
• Glucose-galactose malabsorption syndrome
• Haemodynamic shock

Cautions

• Pregnancy 
• Breastfeeding 
• Renal impairment
• Hepatic impairment
• Diabetes insipidus
• Cardiac failure
• Hypertension
• Peripheral oedema
• Pulmonary oedema
• Pre-eclampsia

Forms avail. in SA and covered in this monograph: pdr, sol

Gastroenteritis
- Prevention of dehydration associated with diarrhoea 

• Oral (pdr, sol): Dissolve sachet/solution in quantity of water recommended by manufacturer  

Drink enough oral rehydration solution to quench thirst and replace fluid lost in each stool

Should not be mixed with or given with fruit juice, milk or other electrolyte-containing solutions

Forms avail. in SA and covered in this monograph: pdr, sol

Gastroenteritis
- Prevention of dehydration associated with diarrhoea 

• Oral (pdr, sol): Dissolve sachet/solution in quantity of water recommended by manufacturer  

Drink enough oral rehydration solution to quench thirst and replace fluid lost in each stool

Should not be mixed with or given with fruit juice, milk or other electrolyte-containing solutions

Pregnancy

• Caution
• Use during pregnancy only when necessary and if the potential benefit outweighs any potential risks to the foetus and mother

Breastfeeding

• Caution
• Use during breastfeeding only when necessary and if the potential benefit outweighs any potential risks to the breastfeeding infant and mother

Renal Impairment

• Caution; no dose adjustment recommended
• Renal failure manifesting as oliguria or anuria, intestinal obstruction and paralytic ileus: Contraindicated

Hepatic Impairment

• Caution; no dose adjustment recommended

Elderly

• No dose adjustment recommended

Porphyria Information

• Not porphyrinogenic (NP)

Drugs in Sport

• Permitted - No warnings

Gastrointestinal Disorders

• Nausea and vomiting

Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders

• Hyperkalaemia
• Hypernatraemia

Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders

• Puffy eyelids 

Immune, Blood and Lymphatic System Disorders

• Severe allergic reactions

• Potassium-sparing diuretics

• Hydration status

Oral rehydration salt formulations are glucose-electrolyte mixtures. Sodium/glucose co-transport proteins on the brush border cells of the intestinal lumen pull sodium and glucose from the gut into the cells. As the osmolarity of the cells increases, water is reabsorbed out of the gut and into the body. Consequently, electrolyte imbalances are reversed, thus rehydrating the patient.

Oral rehydration salts are available in several formulations. Please note the list below gives examples of products which are available and is not necessarily comprehensive. The listing of a product does not constitute endorsement of the product by EMGuidance; likewise, failure to list a product does not imply that EMGuidance disapproves of the product. This information is put together on the basis of the National Government's Medicines Price Registry at the time of publication

COMBINATION PREPARATIONS

Sodium chloride/ Sodium citrate/ Potassium chloride/ Dextrose

Powder (per sachet) 2.0g/2.9g/1.5g/18.185g

• Hydrol (Janssen)

Sodium chloride/ Potassium chloride/ Sodium citrate/ Dextrose

Solution (per 30ml) 240mg/360mg/469.8mg/4.947

• Adco scripto-lyte (Adcock)

Sodium chloride/ Potassium chloride/ Sodium bicarbonate/ Glucose/ Sucrose

Powder (per sachet) 0.44g/0.38g/0.42g/4.12g/8.10g

• Rehidrat Blackcurrant (Johnson & Johnson)
• Rehidrat Orange (Johnson & Johnson)
• Rehidrat Vanilla (Johnson & Johnson)

Sodium chloride/ Sodium bicarbonate/ Potassium chloride/ Dextrose

Powder (per sachet) 0.4g/0.5g/0.3g/4.4.0g

• Electropak Rasberry (Mirren)