A two year evaluation of the Port of Spain General Hospital oral rehydration unit - abstract

Bratt, David E

ABSTRACT

The Port of spain General Hospital (POSH) Oral Rehydration (OR) Unit was established on 81/01/02. Objectives were- 1. To decrease the number of admissions for gastroenteritis (GE) to the POSH. 2. To change the public's knowledge, attitudes and practices re gastroenteritis. This paper will discuss objective number one, by analyzing the number of reported cases of gastroenteritis in Trinidad and Tobago during the period 1976 - 1982, and the number of gastroenteritis admissions to the POSH and the San Fernando Hospital (SFH), the two major hospitals in Trinidad & Tobago. From 1967 to 1982 there was a rise in the total reported cases of GE in Trinidad and Tobago. Year 1976, reported cases 6512, mean monthly number of cases 543; 1977, 8652, 721 respectively; 1978, 8956, 746 respectively; 1979, 8899, 742 respectively; 1980, 10544, 877 respectively; 1981, 11312, 943 respectively; and 1982 14244, 1187 respectively. At the POSH, the average montlhy number of admissions for GE rose from 168 in 1976 to 273 in 1980 (total admissions rose from 2020 to 3270). At the SFH, a similar increase was seen from 142 in 1976 to 191 in 1980 (total admissions rose from 1,699 to 2,293). However, in 1981 and 1982 there was a significant decrease in both the average monthly and total admissions at the POSH (mean monthly admissions of 177 in 1981 and 164 in 1982; total admissions of 2,119 in 1981 and 1,966 in 1982). This occurred despite the overall increase in reported cases island wide. At the San Fernando Hospital, there was also a decrease in both the mean monthly admission and annual admissions (135 and 141, 1,616 and 1,690) but this decrease was significantly less than that seen at the POSH. It would appear reasonable to conclude that a major reason for the decrease in the number of admissions for gastroenterities at the Port of Spain Hospital in 1981 and 1982 was the establishment and fuctioning of the Oral Rehydration Unit in 1981 and 1982. Similarly, the increasing use of oral rehydration therapy in the health centres in South and Central Trinidad contributed to the decrease in admissions for gastrenteritis at the San Fernando General Hospital (AU)