Mass treatment approach to acute diarrhoeal disease in Afabet Hospital, northern Ethiopia.

During an outbreak of acute diarrhoeal disease in a military camp in Afabet region from August to October 1985, 416 cases were admitted to Afabet hospital. All were National Military Service recruitee males who developed signs of moderate to severe dehydration. Simplified methods of diagnosing and treating the disease were used so that mass rehydration therapy could be instituted early, using locally available manpower and material resources. The severity of dehydration was graded, and rehydration therapy given mainly with oral rehydration salt (ORS) solution (average 10-12 litres per patient), plus intravenous fluids (average 4-6 litres per patient) as necessary. The mortality rate was 0.7%. The average hospital stay was 2 days. We recommend that in any diarrhoeal epidemic, rehydration therapy should be instituted early by tailoring the working conditions to locally available resources.