![]() ![]() 1 liter of safe drinking water (boiled and cooled down to room temperature),.If a doctor can not be contacted and ORS is not available, a homemade rehydration solution may be prepared ( exact amounts should be used!) ( 2): ![]() Plain water is not enough since it doesn’t contain electrolytes (Na, K) lost in diarrhea. Breastfeeding should continue and ORS given. Infants with any extent of dehydration should be checked by a doctor who can prescribe appropriate oral rehydration solution (ORS). Treatment of Dehydration in Small ChildrenĬhildren under two years of age are more susceptible to dehydration because of their low weight. Treatment of severe dehydration is by intravenous fluids (in hospital), which can replace lost water and electrolytes (sodium or potassium) quickly. Gatorade), available in food stores without prescription.ĭrinks to avoidin dehydration: caffeinated and alcohol drinks, diet soda sweetened by HFCS or sorbitol, milk and high-fructose fruit juices (like apple, pear, prune or peach juice) that may all aggravate diarrhea. Pedialyte, Infalyte, Naturalyte, Rehydralyte, etc.) or sport drinks (e.g. Treatment of mild dehydration is by drinking water, tea, orange, lemon, grapefruit or banana juice, re-hydration solutions (e.g. Treatment of Dehydration in Adults and Children after Age of 2 Levels of sodium, potassium and magnesium may be increased, decreased or unchanged ( 2).Increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine and urine specific gravity.Signs of severe dehydration in infant Laboratory Findings in Severe Dehydration Sunken eyes or front fontanel in infants ( Picture 2).Muscle cramps (due to loss of sodium, potassium or magnesium).Reduced skin turgor in severe dehydration The test is not useful in old people with loose skin. In infants, the test should be performed on the abdominal skin. Normally, the skin on the back of the hand flattens immediately after being pinched and released in severe dehydration, skin loses its fullness, so fold persists for more than 2 seconds ( Picture 1). Small amount of dark colored urine (in adults: Severe dehydration may develop within a day in a heavy diarrhea. Reduced amount (less than usual) of morning urine (in infants: no wet diaper for 3 hours).Thirst – NOT a reliable symptom of dehydration it may be absent, especially in children and old people.Dry mouth (in infants: only few tears when crying).Mild dehydration may develop in a couple of hours. Over 20 litres of water (and electrolytes) may be lost in severe diarrhea in one day. In exudative (Latin exudate = ooze) diarrhea, water and proteins ooze from inflamed ulcerated intestinal mucosa, for example, in ulcerative colitis.In osmotic (osmosis = diffusion of water through a semi-permeable membrane, like intestinal mucosa), certain nutrients that can not be absorbed, like fructose in fructose malabsorption, drag water into intestine.In secretory diarrhea, water is actively secreted from a damaged intestinal wall, for example, in cholera.In motility diarrhea, water does not have time to be absorbed because of increased bowel motility, for example in hyperthyroidism.In diarrhea, water is lost by one or more of the following mechanisms: A healthy adult can drink up to 20 litres of fluids in one day without having diarrhea. Intestinal Water Absorption and DiarrheaĪ healthy adult gets about 9 litres of water (from digestive juices and dietary intake) into the bowel daily, but excretes only 100-200 ml of it with the stool, since most of it is re-absorbed from the bowel into the blood amount of water that body does not need is then excreted in the urine. Fluid and salts may be lost with excessive sweating, vomiting and diarrhea. It arises when the loss of water exceeds the intake of water. Dehydration is low levels of water and electrolytes (salts) in the body. ![]()
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