DEFINITION

Lacking in corporal liquids adapted so that the body carries out his functions at ideal level. It can happen for losses of liquids, it is missing of ingestion, or both together situations.

CAUSES, INCIDENCE AND FACTORS OF RISK

1. Dehydration for losses. It can happen in situations of:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Losses excess for urine (poliuria)
• Profuse Sudoración (fever situations, for example)

2. Dehydration for lack of contribution. It can happen in situations of:

• Morning sickness
• Stomatitis (inflammation of the mouth) or pharyngitis (of the pharynx)
• Acute disease with loss of appetite. It is much more important in children, patients and with fever, which the liquids push back.

The losses of even 5 % are considered to be light; up to 10 %, moderates; and up to 15 %, severe. The severe dehydration can lead to the cardiovascular collapse (or shock) and to the death, if it does not talk each other quickly.

CLINICAL SYMPTOMS

• presence of vomiting, diarrhea, poliuria, sudoración …
• little liquids ingestion
• sunken eyes
• language and dry or sticky mucous membranes of the mouth
• fontanelas sunk in the nursing ones
• "sign of the crease": to the skin he lacks his normal elasticity and if one pinches it, the resultant crease does not return to his place.

DIAGNOSIS

Physical examination. There is usually low arterial tension and rapid pulse (tachycardia).

Analytical. There can be alterations in the ions (electrolytes) of the blood, increases in the urea and the creatinina of the plasma (for the defensive position of the kidney before the dehydration), and acidosis (increase of the CO2 in blood).

TREATMENT

The light dehydration talks each other with oral restoration of liquids and salt (ions), using when it is possible commercial solutions of rehydration (type Sueroral, Bebesales, etc) or caretakers, like the called "Alkaline lemon soda". This one prepares herself dissolving in 1 liter of water the juice of 2 lemons, a bicarbonate spoonful sódico and sugar to the taste.

The serious dehydration needs intravenous liquids, and generally, hospitalization.

PROGNOSIS

The precocious recognition and treatment of the dehydration leads to a rapid reestablishment. The not treated serious dehydration can end in convulsions, permanent cerebral damage or death.

WHAT DOCTOR CAN TREAT ME?

Select a province A Coruna Alava Albacete Alicante Almeria Asturias Avila Badajoz Barcelona Burgos Caceres Cadiz Cantabria Castellón Ciudad Real Cordova Cuenca Gipúzcoa Girona Granada Guadalajara Huelva Huesca Illes Balears Jaen La Rioja Las Palmas León Lleida Lugo Madrid Malaga Murcia Navarre Ourense Palencia Pontevedra Salamanca Santa Cruz Tenerife Segovia Seville Soria Tarragona Teruel Toledo Valencia Valladolid Biscay Zamora Saragossa

Service offered for