Report on DEHYDRATION:

Diarrhea and Vomiting

 ALCANTARA, Nadine
 CERIACO, Chedan
SLU BSN IV-K, Group 1
BRAT DIET FOR DIARRHEA
Banana, Rice, Applesauce, Toast DIET
PROs

The BRAT diet consists of foods that are relatively

bland, easy to digest, and low in fiber. Low-fiber foods
are recommended because foods high in fiber may cause
gas, possibly worsening the gastrointestinal upset.

In 2007, Debora Duro and Christopher Duggan reported

that bananas and rice have been shown to have a positive
effect on the bowels with recommended caution. In vitro
research has found that rice may offer anti-secretory
benefits. Rice-based oral re-hydration solutions help
decrease stool volume and stop diarrhea sooner.

The banana’s high content of amylase-resistant starch

is broken down into short-chain fatty acids in the
colon, a process that may reduce water and electrolyte
losses and benefit GI symptoms.

Duro and Duggan cite one study in which adding pectin

(which is provided by the applesauce so does the toast)
or bananas to the diet significantly decreased stool
weight and stopped diarrhea much sooner, compared with a
rice diet alone.
CONs

Adding rice, bananas, or pectin to the diet during

diarrhea may be beneficial, but Duro and Duggan point
out that the BRAT diet is not nutritionally complete and
may be deficient in Calories, fat, protein, fiber,
vitamin A, vitamin B12, and calcium. Duro and Duggan
also say that food restriction does not benefit diarrhea
and actually causes individuals to suffer from diarrhea
for longer periods of time, based on randomized clinical
trials.

In addition to dietary restrictions, medical

professionals recommended that all patients, regardless
of age, intake plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration,
along with oral rehydration solutions to replace the
depleted electrolytes to avoid salt imbalance. Severe,
untreated salt imbalance can result in "extreme
weakness, confusion, coma, or death."

Alternative

An alternative diet that is being researched is the

CRAM diet (Cereal, Rice, and Milk) since it may add more
complete protein and needed fat into the diet.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRAT_diet"

Oral Rehydration May Be Best for Children With
Gastroenteritis CME
News Author: Laurie Barclay, MD
CME Author: Charles Vega, MD, FAAFP

Release Date: February 7, 2005; Valid for credit through February 7, 2006

Hypotheses

The primary hypothesis of this study was that the

failure rate of ORT would be no more than 5% greater than
the failure rate of IVF.

Secondary hypotheses were that patients treated with ORT

would require less time initiating therapy, have greater
improvement after two hours of therapy, have fewer
hospitalizations, and prefer ORT for future episodes of
dehydration.

Pearls for practice

ORT can reduce the length of emergency department stay,

improve parent education, and reduce children's levels of
pain when compared with IVF in the management of
pediatric gastroenteritis with dehydration.

ORT appears equivalent to IVF in improving clinical

variables in children with dehydration secondary to
gastroenteritis, but time to initiate treatment favors
ORT.