İshalli dehidrasyonun hastane öncesi yönetiminin ilk müdahale eden kişi tarafından bebek ölümleri üzerindeki etkileri

Dehydration has been one of the major causes of death in children under the age of five till date. According to the World Health Organization, dehydration takes the lives of approximately 525,000 children each year. Pakistan, a developing country, has the fourth highest child mortality rate worldwide. This thesis is a case-control study conducted in rural areas of Islamabad. The research population consists of 100 patients who died as a result of dehydration or who were hospitalized in a critical condition, and 100 control groups who also had less episodes of diarrhea. The data of the study were collected between February 2021 and February 2022. To determine the importance of rehydration therapy and its role in infant mortality, a comprehensive questionnaire was prepared and administered to the participants' primary caregivers. In the findings, a significant relationship was found between the administration of oral rehydration at home and the course of the disease, and improvement was observed in 92% of these infants (p value < 0.05). The most severe manifestations of dehydration were seen in the presence of convulsions, sunken fontanel, or a combination of significant symptoms. On the other hand, no relationship was found between demographic characteristics such as age, gender, caregiver's relationship with the baby, the region of residence and family type, and the course of the disease. In conclusion, the findings of this study are important to promote the use of oral rehydration therapy for children under 5 years of age and raise awareness about it.