Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORS) is given for the treatment of which patient?

Appeared in: MP CHO-2018

Explanation

Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, leading to severe, rapid fluid and electrolyte loss.
The hallmark of cholera is profuse watery diarrhea ("rice-water stools") that can cause dehydration, shock, and death within hours.
Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORS) is the primary treatment for cholera-induced dehydration. It works by using the intact glucose-sodium cotransport system in the gut to facilitate water and electrolyte absorption, effectively reversing dehydration.
Rehydration with ORS is the mainstay of therapy and dramatically reduces the mortality rate of cholera to less than 1%.

Option B: Tetanus is a neurological disease caused by a bacterial toxin, not a diarrheal illness. It does not cause dehydration through fluid loss in stool.
Option C: Typhoid is a systemic bacterial infection that primarily causes fever and abdominal pain. While diarrhea can occur, it is not the defining feature of massive fluid loss as seen in cholera.
Option D: Tuberculosis is a chronic respiratory infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It does not cause acute watery diarrhea or the type of dehydration that ORS is designed to treat.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Indication for Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORS) to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
ORS is one of the most important medical discoveries of the 20th century, saving millions of lives, particularly children, from deaths due to diarrheal diseases.
Nurses play a critical role in teaching caregivers how to correctly mix and administer ORS, how to recognize signs of dehydration, and when to seek further medical help.
In the Indian context, ORS is a vital public health tool, widely promoted by the government to combat high rates of childhood mortality from diarrhea.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core concept of the question: the primary use of Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORS).
Recall the main function of ORS: to replace water and electrolytes lost during diarrhea.
Analyze the options provided. Think about the primary pathology of each disease.
Cholera is famous for causing severe, acute watery diarrhea leading to rapid dehydration.
Tetanus, Typhoid, and Tuberculosis are primarily treated with antitoxins or antibiotics, not by managing diarrheal fluid loss.
Therefore, connect ORS directly to the disease characterized by massive fluid loss, which is Cholera.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Q4iWfXaSGKy86XYG4rty9-

E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 1 p. 1369-1371

E6 Ghai Essential Pediatrics(pp 26-904 of 913) p. 311-313

E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 1791-1793

Practise the full MP CHO-2018

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.