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AAP News Vol. 13 No. 6 June 1997, p. 8 © 1997 American Academy of Pediatrics
Consensus Statement The following statement emanated from a two-day oral rehydration therapy conference held Nov. 13-14, 1996, hosted by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. The consensus statement is consistent with AAP policy. Diarrhea is a major cause of illness in the U.S. Each year, American children experience about 25 million episodes of diarrhea resulting in 300-400 deaths, 180,000 to 200,000 hospitalizations and 1.5 million doctor or clinic visits. This results in approximately $1 billion in direct medical costs for children alone. Among the elderly, there are approximately 2,600 diarrheal deaths per year.
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