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| Quick reference medical handouts used
by Pediatric offices |
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Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration in infants and children
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Level of
Dehydration |
Minimal or none
(less than 3% loss of body weight) |
Mild to moderate
(between 3%-9% loss of body weight) |
Severe
(over 9% loss of body weight) |
| Mental status |
Well; alert |
Normal; fatigued or restless, irritable |
Apathetic, lethargic,
difficult to wake, unconscious |
| Thirst |
Drinks normally; might refuse
some liquids |
Thirsty; eager to drink |
Drinks poorly; unable to drink;
vomits most liquids |
| Heart rate |
Normal |
Normal to increased |
Increased
heart rate with weak pulses |
| Quality of pulses |
Normal |
Normal to decreased |
Weak
or thready pulses, or pulses you are unable to feel |
| Breathing |
Normal |
Normal; fast |
Deep |
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Soft spot on the front of the head in babies
(called the
fontanel) |
Normal |
Normal
to slightly sunken |
Sunken |
| Eyes |
Normal |
Slightly sunken |
Deeply sunken |
| Tears |
Present |
Decreased |
Absent
(cries without tears) |
| Mouth and tongue |
Moist |
Dry |
Parched,
Dry, Sticky |
Skin folds
(gently pinch your child's
skin on their abdomen, hold it for a few seconds and then let it go to
see how long it takes to return to the normal position) |
Instantly
returns to normal |
Returns
to normal in
less than 2 seconds |
Either
remains wrinkled or returns to normal in over 2 seconds |
| Capillary refill
briefly press on your child's
skin so that it blanches or turns white, and see how long it takes to
return to normal |
Normal |
Prolonged |
Prolonged; minimal |
| Extremities |
Warm |
Cool |
Cold; mottled; cyanotic |
| Urine output |
Normal to decreased |
Decreased |
Minimal
(no urine output in
4-6 hours)
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Seek immediate medical
attention from your child's doctor or take him/her to the nearest emergency room
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As a reminder, this information should not be relied on as
medical advice and is not intended to replace the advice of your child’s pediatrician.
Please read our full disclaimer.
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