Abstract:

Introduction: One of the impacts of diarrhea is dehydration which can lead to loss of electrolytes in the body which are necessary for survival. There is limited information on the magnitude of electrolyte deficiency resulting from dehydration due to diarrhea in children under five and the outcomes of electrolyte if poorly managed. This study was done to identify the prevalence of electrolyte deficiency in children suffering from diarrhea and its outcomes.

Methodology: A cohort study was conducted among 66 children less than five years of age suffering from diarrhea at the Bugando medical centre pediatric ward and Makongoro clinic. Demographic information was collected by using standardized questionnaire. Blood was collected from patients and sent to CUHAS-MPL for processing. Electrolytes which were found to be imbalanced at a prevalent number were noted. The obtained data analyzed using STATA version 11 software.

Results: Out of 66 children that were enrolled in the study, none of the patients died. There were 35 (53%) females and 31 (46.9%) males. Vomiting, fever and dehydration accompanied diarrhea. From the total of 66 participants, the prevalent electrolyte imbalance noted was hyponatremia 35 (53.1%) which was either isolated 25 (37.8%) or associated with hypokalemia 10 (15.2%), followed by hypokalemia 21 (31.9%) which was again either isolated 11 (16.7%) or associated with hyponatremia 10 (15.2%).

Conclusion: Hyponatremia and hypokalemia had high prevalence in children with diarrhea, whereas hyponatremia was the more prevalent electrolyte deficiency followed by hypokalemia.