Hypernatremia from Oral Electrolyte Solutions in Infantile Diarrhea

To the Editor: Hypernatremia was frequent in the United States when oral electrolyte solutions containing 50 mmol of sodium per liter were used to treat infantile diarrhea 1 , 2 ; it has become less frequent in Great Britain since the introduction of low-solute milk (which must contain less than 20 mmol of sodium per liter). 3 Despite this experience, a product called "Hydra-lyte" (Jayco Pharmaceuticals), containing 84 mmol of sodium per liter, has recently been released for the home management of diarrheal disease in infants. References cited in its advertising 4 present information regarding the use of similar solutions in underdeveloped communities. However, the . . .