Effect of Protein Energy Malnutrition on the Diarrheal Electrolyte Imbalance in Children of Chittagong Region, Bangladesh

The study was carried out to identify the risk factors involved in the development of Protein Energy Malnutrition and its effect on the diarrheal electrolyte imbalance in Bangladeshi children. Among a 100 protein energy malnourished children, 64 ±1.02% patients (Group-A) were edematous with 39 ± 0.93% kwashiorkor and 25 ± 0.78% marasmic kwashiorkor whereas 36 ± 0.86% (Group-B) was marasmic with 39 ± 0.77% diarrhea. Thus the patients have been suffering from acute respiratory infection 25 ± 0.35%, septicemia 29 ± 0.66%, tuberculosis 7 ± 0.36% and other secondary infections. Analysis of serum electrolytes revealed that hypokalemia was seen in 46 ± 0.84% patients of Group-A and 20 ± 1.01% of group B. Hypernatremia (Group-A) was seen in 14 ± 0.64% patients, low serum in 52 ± 0.55% while 32 ± 0.73% of them had diarrhea. Serum total protein and albumin of the kwashiorkor group were significantly (p<0.01) higher (39 ± 0.65%) than marasmic (36 ± 0.99%) and Marasmus Kwashiorkor (25 ± 0.45%) patients. The results demonstrate that protein energy malnutrition significantly affecting electrolytes of diarrheal children in Chittagong.