Rice-ORS versus Glucose-ORS in Management of Severe Cholera Due to Vibrio cholerae O139 Bengal: A Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial

This study examined the comparative efficacies of rice-based oral rehydration solution (R-ORS) and glucose-based oral rehydration solution (G-ORS) in the management of severe cholera due to Vibrio cholerae O139 Bengal that causes epidemic cholera in many developing countries. Stool culture-proved adult male patients with severe cholera due to V. cholerae O139 Bengal were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either R-ORS or G-ORS after their initial rehydration with intravenous (i.v.) fluid and subsequently four hours of observation. They also received the usual hospital diet and tetracycline capsules (500 mg 6 hourly for three days) immediately after their enrollment in the study. The primary outcomes for observation were stool output during the first 24 hours after intervention and treatment failure as measured by the incidence of re-institution of i.v. fluid after initiation of trial therapy and duration of diarrhoea. Of 113 patients finally included in the study, 57 received R-ORS and 56 G-ORS. The admission characteristics of the two treatment groups were comparable. No significant differences in the first 24 hours of median (inter-quartile range) stool output [179 (67-206) g/kg in R-ORS group vs 193 (80-237) g/kg in G-ORS group; p=0.52], incidences of unscheduled i.v. fluid requirement [21 % (12/57) in R-ORS group vs 25% (14/56) in G-ORS group; p=0.78], and median (inter-quartile range) duration of diarrhoea [32 (24-48) hours in R-ORS group vs 32 (24-56) hours in G-ORS group; p=0.64] were observed. It is concluded that rice-based ORS is effective but not superior to standard glucose-based ORS in the management of adult males with severe cholera due to V. cholerae O139 Bengal.