[The pH of feces in children with acute diarrhea during the first hours of oral rehydration].

We studied 108 children between 3 and 36 months of age with acute diarrhea and dehydration when their diarrhea continued more than 24 hours following initiation of ORT and in whom we measured pH and glucose of stools with strips in all evacuations. According to the average stool pH and glucose in the first six hours, the patients were grouped in pH < or = 5.5 and > 5.5 and a glucose < or = 1+ and > 1+. The pH of stools < or = 5.5 increased significantly (P < or = .0005) in children between > 6-12 hours and by 48 hours, it was similar to those with an initial average pH 6.6 Stool glucose declined considerably between > 12 and 24 hours. Contrary to what we expected to find, children with pH > 5.5 excreted more stools and had a higher ORT intake in the first 24 hours. The systematic studies of pH and glucose of stools did not appear to be useful for children with acute diarrhea who had a satisfactory evolution.