Dehydration

Dehydration is a condition that occurs

when the loss of body fluids, mostly water,
exceeds the amount that is taken in. With
dehydration, more water is moving out of our
cells and bodies than what we take in through
drinking.
We lose water every day in the
form of water vapor in the breath we exhale
and in our excreted sweat, urine, and stool.
Along with the water, small amounts of salts
are also lost. When we lose too much water,
our bodies may become out of balance or
dehydrated. Severe dehydration can lead to
death.

Causes of Dehydration

Many conditions may cause rapid and

continued fluid losses and lead to dehydration:
1. Fever, heat exposure, and too much exercise
2. Vomiting, diarrhea, and increased urination
due to infection
3. Diseases such as diabetes
4. The inability to seek appropriate water and
food (as in the case of a disabled person)
5. An impaired ability to drink (for instance,
someone in a coma or on a respirator)
6. No access to safe drinking water
7. Significant injuries to skin, such as burns
or mouth sores, or severe skin diseases or
infections (water is lost through the damaged
skin)

Symptoms of Dehydration

From minor to severe

1. Increased thirst
2. Dry mouth and swollen tongue
3. Weakness
4. Dizziness
5. Palpitations (feeling that the heart is
jumping or pounding)
6. Confusion
7. Sluggishness fainting
8. Fainting

9. Inability to sweat
10. Decreased urine output

When to Seek Medical Care?

Call your doctor if the dehydrated person

experiences any of the following:
1. Increased or constant vomiting for more
than a day
2. Fever over 101F
3. Diarrhea for more than 2 days
4. Weight loss
5. Decreased urine production
6. Confusion
7. Weakness
Take the person to the hospital's
emergency department if these situations
occur:
1. Fever higher than 103F
2. Confusion
3. Sluggishness (lethargy)
4. Headache
5. Seizures
6. Difficulty breathing
7. Chest or abdominal pains
8. Fainting
9. No urine in the last 12 hours

Exams and Tests

The doctor may perform a variety of

simple tests at the examination or
send blood or urine samples to the laboratory.
Through tests and examination, the doctor will
try to identify the underlying cause or causes
that led to the dehydration.
1. Vital signs
2. Fever, increased heart rate, decreased blood
pressure, and faster breathing are signs of
potential dehydration and other illnesses.
3. Taking the pulse and blood pressure while
the person is lying down and then after
standing up for 1 and 3 minutes can help
determine the degree of dehydration.
Normally, when you have been lying down and

then stand up, there is a small drop in blood

pressure for a few seconds. The heart rate
speeds up, and blood pressure goes back to
normal. However, when there is not enough
fluid in the blood because of dehydration and
the heart rate speeds up, not enough blood is
getting to the brain. The brain senses this
condition, and the heart beats faster. If you are
dehydrated, you feel dizzy and faint after
standing up.
4. Urinalysis
5. The color and clarity of urine, the urine
specific gravity (the mass of urine is compared
with that of equal amounts of distilled water),
and the presence of ketones (carbon
compounds that signify dehydration) in the
urine may all help to indicate the degree of
dehydration.
6. Increased glucose in the urine may lead to a
diagnosis ofdiabetes or indicate loss of diabetic
control and a cause for the dehydration.
7. Excessive protein in the urine may
signal kidney problems.
8. Signs of infections or other diseases, such
as liver disease, may be found by urine testing.

Blood chemistries

1.The amount of salts (sodium and potassium)

and sugar, as well as indicators
of kidney function (BUN and creatinine), may
be important to evaluate the degree of
dehydration and possible causes.
2. A complete blood count (CBC) may be
ordered if the doctor thinks an underlying
infection is causing the dehydration.

Dehydrations Treatment Self-Care at Home

Try to get people who are dehydrated (even

those who have been vomiting) to take in fluids
in the following ways:
1. Sipping small amounts of water
2. Drinking carbohydrate/electrolyte-containing
drinks. Good choices are sports drinks such as
Gatorade or prepared replacement solutions
(Pedialyte is one example)

3. Sucking on popsicles made from juices and

sports drinks
4. Sucking on ice chips
5. Sipping through a straw (works well for
someone who has had jaw surgery
or mouth sores)

1.
2.

3.

4.

5.

Try to cool the person, if there

has been heat exposure or if
the person has an elevated
temperature, in the following
ways:
Remove any excess clothing and
loosen other clothing.
Air-conditioned areas are best for
helping return body temperatures to
normal and break the heat exposure
cycle.
If air conditioning is not available,
increase cooling by evaporation by
placing the person near fans or in the
shade, if outside. Place a wet towel
around the person.
If available, use a spray bottle or
misters to spray lukewarm water on
exposed skin surfaces to help with
cooling by evaporation.
Avoid exposing skin to excessive cold,
such as ice packs or ice water. This
can cause the blood vessel s in the
skin to constrict and will decrease
rather than increase heat loss.
Exposure to excessive cold can also
cause shivering, which will
increase body temperature --the
opposite effect you're trying to
achieve.

Treatment in the emergency

department focuses first on
restoring blood volume and
then body fluids, while
determining the cause of the
dehydration.

If your core body

temperature is greater than 104 F,
doctors will cool the entire body. They may

promote cooling by evaporation with mists

and fans or cooling blankets and baths.

Fluid replacement
If there is no nausea and vomiting,
fluid replacement is begun. You are
asked to drink
electrolyte/carbohydrate-containing
fluids along with water.
If there are signs of significant
dehydration (elevated resting heart
rate, low blood pressure), fluids are
generally given through an IV, a tube
placed into a vein.
Disposition
If your condition improves, you may
be sent home, preferably in the care
of friends or family who can help
monitor your condition.
If you remain dehydrated, confused,
feverish, have persistently abnormal
vital signs, or signs of infection, you
may need to stay in the hospital for
additional treatment.

Medications
If fever is a cause of
dehydration, the use
of acetaminophen (for
example, Tylenol) or ibuprofen (for
example, Advil) may be used. This can
be given by mouth if you are not
vomiting or as a rectal suppository if
you cannot take anything by mouth.

Prevention

The foremost treatment for dehydration is

prevention. Anticipate the need for increased
fluid intake.
Plan ahead and take extra water to all
outdoor events and work where
increased sweating, activity, and heat
stress will increase fluid losses.
Encourage athletes and outdoor
workers to replace fluids at a rate that
equals the loss.

Avoid exercise and exposure during

high heat index days. Listen to
weather forecasts for high heat stress
days, and plan events that must occur
outside during times when
temperatures are cooler.
Ensure that older people and infants
and children have adequate drinking
water or fluids available and assist
them as necessary. Make sure that
any incapacitated or impaired person
is encouraged to drink and provided
with adequate fluids.
Avoid alcohol consumption, especially
when it is very warm, because alcohol
increases water loss and impairs your
ability to sense early signs associated
with dehydration.
Wear light-colored and loose-fitting
clothing if you must be outdoors when
it is hot outside. Carry a personal fan
or mister to cool yourself.
Break up your exposure to hot
temperatures. Find air-conditioned or
shady areas and allow yourself to cool
between exposures. Taking someone
into a cooled area for even a couple of
hours each day will help prevent the
cumulative effects of high heat
exposure.
Republic of the Philippines
Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges
Nabua, Camarines Sur 4434
Graduate School

SUBMITTED BY:
ROBERT JAY B. IBARRETA
MAN 1