Dehydration Syndrome in Malnourished Iranian Children

Abstract

A study was made on some of the clinical and biochemical characteristics of dehydration consecutive to diarrheal disease as it occurred in 26 malnourished Iranian children, 2–36 months of age. No significant difference could be shown to exist between the blood levels of hemoglobin, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, chloride, bicarbonate and total keto acids exhibited by the marasmic (12) and kwashiorkor (14) patients. Significantly, higher total serum proteins, albumin and potassium were found in the marasmic children. Muscle biopsies in malnourished patients of the kwashiorkor (5) and marasmic (5) type revealed a higher content of sodium and a lower content of potassium than reported in the literature for the muscle in normal children. Clinically, the only sign consistent with bad prognosis was drowsiness. Biochemically, low bicarbonate and low chloride levels were associated with a fatal outcome. The intrahospital mortality was about 50%. Of the patients discharged alive that could be traced 6 montims after leaving the hospital, three had died and the other three did not show any improvement in their nutritional condition. These facts point to the poor economic efficiency of treating the dehydrated malnourished patients under present conditions.