Effect of protein rich diet during acute phase of dysentery
Datta, D.; Datta, P.; Bhattacharya, S.K.; Mitra, U.; Bhattacharya, M.K.; Sen, D.; Sinna, A.K.; Manna, B.; Mitra, A.K.; Lahiri, M.
Indian Journal of Public Health 34(1): 1-5
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-557X PMID: 2101381 Document Number: 377115
Health practitioners admitted 96 7-25 month old children with uncomplicated acute dysentery to the Dr. B.C. Roy Memorial Hospital for Children in Calcutta, India and randomly allocated them into either the group that received only the hospital diet (control group) or the group that received the hospital diet and extra milk (3.1 g of protein/100 g milk) comprising 30% of ideal calorie requirement of the patient (case group). They treated all the children with nalidixic acid (55 mg/kg/day). They conducted this clinical study to examine the effect of an extra protein rich diet during the acute phase of dysentery. 37.5% of the patients tested positive for Shigella species. No enteroinvasive pathogens were isolated from the remaining patients, however. Food intake of both groups was 40% less than recommended intake. Therefore it was difficult to give the food to the children. No statistically significant differences in clinical outcomes, anthropometrical measurements, and hematological values existed on day 7 of hospitalization and day 15 after discharge between cases and controls. Anorexia may have been responsible for the study's inability to demonstrate any advantage of increase protein in the diet. Further this study was done in a hospital rather in the children's home where they may have been more willing to eat more food. Yet children still had reduced food intake during the 2nd week of discharge from the hospital.