Overview

The third edition of a practical guide for teaching health workers how to assess diarrhea and dehydration, treat cases effectively, and convince community members to adopt preventive practices. Didactic in its approach, the manual uses simple language supported by abundant charts, tables, checklists, and illustrations to help readers absorb information and acquire the full range of essential skills. The book opens with a clear explanation of what diarrhea is, why dehydration is so dangerous, and how a child with diarrhea should and should not be treated. The second section, devoted to home treatment, elaborates three basic rules for helping mothers and other family members treat diarrhea in the home. Of particular practical value are sections designed to teach health workers how to assess and treat patients. Instructions for assessment are presented through a list of questions to ask, conditions to investigate, and signs to observe, followed by a detailed assessment chart and illustrative examples of how the chart works in practice. The section on treatment provides step-by-step instructions for the preparation of a solution from oral rehydration salts, and sets out three detailed plans, correlated with columns in the assessment chart, for the treatment of diarrhea, dehydration, and severe dehydration. The guide also outlines the treatment of dysentery and cholera, and discusses what health workers can do to help prevent diarrhea by making community members aware of preventive practices and encouraging their adoption. A checklist of essential points to remember concludes the book.

Full Product Details

9789241544542

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Reviews

. . .clear and simple ... a very useful book for family practice in developing countries. . . -- Family Practice

. . .clear and simple ... a very useful book for family practice in developing countries. . . -- Family Practice

. . .clear and simple ... a very useful book for family practice in developing countries. . .

Author Information

World Health Organization is a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, charged to act as the world's directing and coordinating authority on questions of human health. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries, and monitoring and assessing health trends.

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