ORT quick guide
| ORT Component | Why does it matter? | Recommended levels | Rehydion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Na+ (mmol/l) | Essential to normalise extra-cellular fluid losses. Can cause salt toxicity if ORT levels are too high | 90-130 | 100 |
| K+ (mmol/l) | Essential to replace losses in faeces | 10-30 | 23 |
| Cl- (mmol/l) | Essential to replace losses in faeces | 40-80 | 48 |
| Strong Ion Difference (SID)
(mmol/l) |
Must be correct to successfully treat electrolyte imbalance and acidosis | 60-80 | 75 |
| Alkalising agent (mmol/l) | Important to tackle excess D-lactic acid correct metabolic acidosis | 50-80 | 81 |
| Which alkalising agent? | Acetate and propionate are preferred, over bicarbonate or citrate, because they:
|
No to both | |
| Energy (MJ/l) | Important to prevent weight loss and delayed recoveryMilk is the best source of energy for scouring calves and lambs (2.52) and it also provides essential amino acids (e.g. glutamine) and nutrients to repair the gut lining | Given with milk | |
| Osmolarity (mOsm/L) | A product with an osmolality greater than what is already present in the intestinal lumen could worsen diarrhoea. Effective osmolality
at the tip of the intestinal villus is about 600 mOsm/L Hypertonic solutions are also known to slow abomasal emptying rates compared with isotonic solutions, thereby delaying plasma volume expansion. |
<600 | 283 |
| Form | Ease of administration is a hugely important aspect of ORT to ensure compliance and therefore the best clinical outcomes | Liquid | |
References for this table come from a range of sources11
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