(A&E) (Peri-Op & Anaesthesia)

Overview

• Dehydration → state of reduced total body water volume
• Causes:
  • Insufficient water intake, particularly in the elderly and the criticaly ill
  • Increased free water loss → diuretics, DI, diarrhoea, vomiting, burns, sweating

Making Diagnosis

Clinical Features:

• Thirst
• Headache
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Dry cool skin, dry mucus membranes, delayed CRT, reduced skin turgor
• Infants → sunken fontanelle, irritability, lethargy

Investigations:

• Hypernatraemia