Treatment

Continued eating speeds the recovery of normal intestinal function. The World Health Organization recommends this generally for cases of diarrhea from whatever cause. A CDC training manual specifically for cholera states: “Continue to breastfeed your baby if the baby has watery diarrhea, even when traveling to get treatment. Adults and older children should continue to eat frequently.

[edit]Fluids

In most cases, cholera can be successfully treated with oral rehydration therapy (ORT), which is highly effective, safe, and simple to administer. Rice-based solutions are preferred to glucose-based ones due to greater efficiency. In severe cases with significant dehydration, intravenous rehydration may be necessary. Ringer's lactate is the preferred solution, often with added potassium. Large volumes and continued replacement until diarrhea has subsided may be needed. Ten percent of a person's body weight in fluid may need to be given in the first two to four hours. This method was first tried on a mass scale during the Bangladesh Liberation War, and was found to have much success.

If commercially produced oral rehydration solutions are too expensive or difficult to obtain, solutions can be made. One such recipe calls for 1 litre of boiled water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 6 teaspoons of sugar, and added mashed banana for potassium and to improve taste.

[edit]Electrolytes

As there frequently is initially acidosis, the potassium level may be normal, even though large losses have occurred. As the dehydration is corrected, potassium levels may decrease rapidly, and thus need to be replaced.

[edit]Antibiotics

Antibiotic treatments for one to three days shorten the course of the disease and reduce the severity of the symptoms. People will recover without them, however, if sufficient hydration is maintained. Doxycycline is typically used first line, although some strains of V. cholerae have shown resistance. Testing for resistance during an outbreak can help determine appropriate future choices. Other antibiotics proven to be effective include cotrimoxazole, erythromycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and furazolidone.Fluoroquinolones, such as norfloxacin, also may be used, but resistance has been reported.

In many areas of the world, antibiotic resistance is increasing. In Bangladesh, for example, most cases are resistant to tetracycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and erythromycin. Rapid diagnostic assay methods are available for the identification of multiple drug-resistant cases. New generation antimicrobials have been discovered which are effective against in in vitro studies.

[edit]Sari filtration

An effective and relatively cheap method to prevent transmission of V. cholera is the practice of folding a sari (a long fabric garment) multiple times to create a simple filter for drinking water. Folding saris four to eight times may create a simple filter to reduce the amount of active V. cholera in the filtered water. The education of proper sari filter use is imperative, as there is a positive correlation between sari misuse and the incidence of childhood diarrhea; soiled saris worn by women are vectors of transmission of enteric pathogens to young children. Educating at-risk populations about the proper use of the sari filter method may decrease V. cholera-associated disease.






Taken from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholera