low osmolar oral rehydration salts

Low osmolar oral rehydration salts is a powdered formulation for oral rehydration therapy, containing a specific mixture of **glucose, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and trisodium citrate dihydrate**. It is designed to be dissolved in one liter of water, creating a solution with a **total osmolarity of 245 mOsm/L**. The solution is used to treat and prevent dehydration caused by diarrheal diseases by leveraging the sodium-glucose cotransport mechanism in the intestines, which enhances water and electrolyte absorption. Compared to the older standard ORS, the low osmolar formulation contains **lower concentrations of sodium chloride and glucose but the same concentrations of potassium and citrate**. This modification reduces stool output, vomiting, and the need for intravenous fluids, especially in children, while maintaining clinical efficacy[1][3][7][10]. Citrate is included as a buffer to correct metabolic acidosis resulting from dehydration[1][5].

Brand names

OralytePedialyteReVitalMedi-Lyte

Other names

low-osmolarity oral rehydration saltslow-osmolar ORSreduced-osmolarity oral rehydration saltsWHO ORS (low-osmolar)LORS