Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy
It may help to think of childhood dehydration in terms of borrowing from various sources. Thus mild dehydration results in thirst, oliguria and restlessness. Moderate dehydration borrows from reserves; severe dehydration results in circulatory collapse.
Symptoms and signs of clinical dehydration and shock include the following:
no clinically detectable | clinical dehydration | shock |
appears well | red flag - appears to be unwell or deteriorating | - |
alert and responsive | red flag - altered responsiveness (for example, irritable, lethargic) | decreased level of |
normal urine output | decreased urine output | - |
skin colour unchanged | skin colour unchanged | pale or mottled skin |
warm extremities | warm extremities | cold extremities |
no clinically detectable | clinical dehydration | shock |
alert and responsive | red flag - altered responsiveness (e.g. - irritable, lethargic) | decreased level |
skin colour unchanged | skin colour unchanged | pale or mottled skin |
warm extremities | warm extremities | cold extremities |
eyes not sunken | red flag - sunken eyes | - |
moist mucous membranes (except after a drink) | dry mucous membranes | - |
normal heart rate | red flag - tachycardia | tachycardia |
normal breathing pattern | red flag - tachypnoea | tachypnoea |
normal peripheral pulses | normal peripheral pulses | weak peripheral pulses |
normal capillary refill time | normal capillary refill time | prolonged capillary refill time |
normal skin turgor | red flag - reduced skin turgor |
|
normal blood pressure | normal blood pressure | hypotension (decompensated shock) |
Hypernatraemic dehydration should be suspected if the child has:
Reference:
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