Study Investigating the Use of Intravenous Fluids With Dextrose for Dehydrated Children

Infants and young children often become infected with gastroenteritis leading to vomiting and diarrhea. This can lead to dehydration, one of the most common complaints in the Pediatric Emergency Department. These children are often in need of treatment with intravenous (IV) fluids. While the investigators know that IV fluids work, it is not clear which type or how much fluid is the best amount to give. Currently, the most common type of IV fluid given is salt water, also called normal saline.

In contrast to adults, infants and young children with dehydration often have a build up of a certain type of acid in their blood which can perpetuate the nausea, vomiting, and general malaise associated with gastroenteritis. The investigators feel that giving these children IV fluids with lots of sugar (in addition to the salt) reduces the acid more rapidly than giving just salt water alone. In a prior study, the investigators have shown that children who receive lower amounts of sugar in the IV fluids return to the Emergency Department more often for a second visit. Based on this study, the investigators believe that children who receive the sugar-salt solution will do better than children who receive just normal saline.

The investigators will determine if the sugar-salt solution is better by giving equal numbers of children the sugar-salt solution and normal saline and then see what happens to each child. The investigators will monitor who needs to be admitted, how much each child vomits, how much each child drinks, and also the level of acid in the blood before and after getting the IV fluid. After the study is completed, the investigators can compare the two different groups (children who received the sugar-salt solution versus children who received normal saline alone) to determine if one group had greater improvement and better clinical outcome than the other.