Everyone Healthy Library
Dehydration
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
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Get urgent medical care now if there is any severe, sudden, rapidly worsening or worrying symptom, especially:
- chest pain, pressure or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back
- trouble breathing, blue lips, severe wheeze or choking
- stroke-like symptoms such as face drooping, arm weakness or speech trouble
- collapse, fainting, seizure, confusion or extreme drowsiness
- severe bleeding, black stools, vomiting blood or major injury
- severe allergic reaction, swelling of the face/throat or widespread rash with breathing trouble
- severe abdominal pain, severe headache, stiff neck or sudden vision change
- signs of severe dehydration, sepsis, high fever with worsening illness, or symptoms in a baby/young child that concern you
Connected health information
Explore this condition in a clear order
Linked signs and symptoms
17Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.
- Appetite Loss (Anorexia)
- Blood Pressure Below Normal (Hypotension)
- Dehydration
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Eye: Vision Impairment
- Eyes Sunken
- Fainting (Syncope)
- Fatigue
- Headache (Cephalgia)
- Heart or Pulse Rate Raised (Tachycardia)
- Mouth Dry (Xerostomia)
- Muscle Cramp
- Thirst
- Urine Dark
- Urine Output Decreased (Oliguria)
- Weight Loss (Body Mass Index Decreased)
Linked drugs / medications
1Medication information is educational only. A doctor or pharmacist should advise whether any medicine is appropriate.
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
12Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Medical therapy
5Lifestyle changes
1Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
27These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
- Anion Gap
- Blood Albumin Concentration
- Blood Urea Nitrogen Tests
- Blood Uric Acid Concentration Test
- Calcium Concentration (Blood, Total)
- Carbon Dioxide Total Content (TCO2)
- Chloride Concentration (Blood)
- Creatinine Clearance (CrCl)
- Creatinine Concentration (Blood, Serum Creatinine)
- Heamatocrit (Hct)
- Hemoglobin (Hb) Concentration
- Intracranial Prassure Monitoring (CSF Pressure)
- Lactic Acid Concentration
- Magnesium Concentration (Mg, Blood)
- Osmolality, Blood (Serum Osmolality)
- Potassium Concentration (K, Blood)
- Protein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Red Blood Cell (RBC) Count
- Renin Assay
- Sodium Concentration (Na, Blood)
- Urine Chloride Concentration
- Urine Osmolality
- Urine pH Test
- Urine Potassium (K) Concentration
- Urine Sodium Quantitative (24hr)
- Urine Specific Gravity (SG)
- Urine Volume
Biological markers/agents
25This visual map shows biological markers/agents reported as increased or decreased with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.
Often increased
20- Albumin (Blood)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 37–52 gm/dL; Infant (0 - 1y): 4.4–5.4 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsBlood Albumin Concentration, Protein Electrophoresis (Blood
- Anion Gap (Excluding Potassium)Reference range exampleAll: 12–20 mEq/L; All: 8–16 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsAnion Gap
- Anion Gap (Including Potassium)Reference range exampleAll: 12–20 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsAnion Gap
- Blood Urea NitrogenReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 6–18 mg/dL; Child (< 10y): 5–15 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsBlood Urea Nitrogen Tests
- Calcium (Blood, Total)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 8.5–10.4 mg/dL; Birth - 2wks: 7.6–10.3 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsCalcium Concentration (Blood, Total)
- Chloride (Blood, Cl)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 97–106 mEq/L; Birth - 2wks: 94–106 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsChloride Concentration (Blood)
- Creatinine (Blood)Reference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 0.1–0.4 mg/dL; Adult ( > 16y), Female: 0.6–1.2 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsCreatinine Concentration (Blood, Serum Creatinine)
- Hemoglobin (Hb)Reference range exampleFemale: 78–100 gm/dL; Male: 76–100 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsHemoglobin (Hb) Concentration, Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) Weight Test
- Lactic Acid (Venous Blood)Reference range exampleAll: 0.5–2.2 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsLactic Acid Concentration
- Magnesium (Mg, Blood)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 1.3–2.6 mEq/L; Birth - 2wks: 1.4–2.2 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsMagnesium Concentration (Mg, Blood)
- Osmolality, Blood (Serum Osmolality)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 274–290 mOsm/kg; Birth - 2wks: 265–285 mOsm/kgLinked diagnostic testsOsmolality, Blood (Serum Osmolality)
- Potassium (K, Blood)AbbreviationKReference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 4.1–5.3 mEq/L; Child (0 - 16y): 3.4–4.7 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsPotassium Concentration (K, Blood)
- RBC MassReference range exampleFemale: 36–48 %; Male: 42–52 %Linked diagnostic testsHeamatocrit (Hct)
- Red Blood Cells (RBC)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 3.6–5 106/mm3; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 4.2–5.4 106/mm3Linked diagnostic testsRed Blood Cell (RBC) Count
- ReninReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0.65–3.3 ng/mL; 16y - 18y: 0–4.4 ng/mLLinked diagnostic testsRenin Assay
- Sodium (Na, Blood)Reference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 134–150 mEq/L; Child (0 - 16y): 136–145 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsSodium Concentration (Na, Blood)
- Uric Acid, BloodReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 2.5–7 mg/dL; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 4–8 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsBlood Uric Acid Concentration Test
- Urine ChlorideReference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 2–10 mmol/day; Child (0 - 16y): 15–14 mmol/dayLinked diagnostic testsUrine Chloride Concentration
- Urine Potassium (K)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 25–100 mmol/dayLinked diagnostic testsUrine Potassium (K) Concentration
- Urine SodiumReference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 41–115 mmol/day; Adult ( > 16y): 40–220 mmol/dayLinked diagnostic testsUrine Sodium Quantitative (24hr)
Often decreased
5- Carbon Dioxide Total Content (TCO2)Reference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 20–27 mEq/L; Newborn (0 - 1month): 13–21 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsCarbon Dioxide Total Content (TCO2)
- Creatinine Clearance RateReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 87–110 ml/minute; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 100–140 ml/minuteLinked diagnostic testsCreatinine Clearance (CrCl)
- Intracranial Pressure (Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure, CSF Pressure)Linked diagnostic testsIntracranial Prassure Monitoring (CSF Pressure)
- Urine OsmolalityReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 250–950 mOsm/kgLinked diagnostic testsUrine Osmolality
- Urine Specific Gravity (SG)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 1.005–1.03Linked diagnostic testsUrine Specific Gravity (SG)
Introduction / full article
Dehydration
Dehydration
When the body loses fluid more than it takes in, dehydration sets in which when severe may ultimately lead to complications and possibly death. [1] The body loses water daily in quite a lot of forms including sweat, urine and stool. Some minerals go alongside water hence when there is too much losing, imbalance can occur and dehydration ensues. [2]
Epidemiology
Dehydration resulting from diarrheal diseases causes about four million deaths among pediatric patients annually. Majority of these mortality cases occur in developing countries. Morbidity and death depend by and large on the severity of dehydration and the rapidity of medical intervention. [3]
Causes
Dehydration can be caused by several entities. The body may lose a great deal of fluid during extreme sweating such as in strenuous activities and exercises, fever, vomiting and diarrheal illnesses. Patients may also develop dehydration by having disproportionate urine output. This may result by taking diuretic medicines and as consequence of diseases like uncontrolled diabetes. Children are at higher risk mainly due to larger body water content and immature kidneys. Skin injuries such as in burns and infectious illnesses may cause the condition. [1] [3] [4]
Medical conditions that are common causes of dehydration are gastroenteritis, stomatitis, diabetic ketoacidosis, pharyngitis and febrile illnesses. [3]
Signs and Symptoms
The manifestations range from mild to severe. These may include increased thirst, fatigue, dizziness, dry mouth, increased heart rate, altered mental status, reduced urine output, darkening of urine and loss of consciousness. Infants may have sunken fontanelles. [4]
Emergency
Included in the symptoms whereby a person should be taken to the emergency department are seizures, loss of consciousness, sluggishness, no urine output in the last twelve hours and difficulty of breathing. The decision should be done on a case to case basis. [4]
Diagnosis
The patient’s medical history is obtained and a physical exam is performed. Laboratory exams that may be done include complete blood count, urinalysis and obtaining the levels of electrolytes, Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine. [1] [3]
Treatment
Drugs like loperamide, opiates and bismuth subsalicylate are generally not recommended due to unverified effectiveness and likely adverse effects. For mild cases, drinking fluids is sufficient which should be done by drinking small amounts of fluid on a frequent basis. Some may need oral rehydration solutions. Moderate and severe dehydration may require hospitalization to institute intravenous fluid to the patient. [1] [3]
References:
1. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000982.htm
2. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Dehydration/Pages/Introduction.aspx
3. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/906999-overview#a0199
4. http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/dehydration-adults