The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines outlined clinical signs and symptoms of dehydration in a young child.
Patient selection: young child < 5 years of age
Parameters:
(1) appearance
(2) level of consciousness
(3) skin color
(4) eyes
(5) temperature of extremities
(6) breathing pattern
(7) peripheral pulses
(8) skin turgor
(9) mucous membranes
(10) blood pressure
(11) urine output
(12) capillary refill time
|
Findings |
Normal |
Dehydration |
Red Flag |
Severe with Shock |
|
appearance |
well |
|
unwell or deteriorating |
|
|
level of consciousness |
alert and responsive |
|
irritable or lethargic |
decreased |
|
skin color |
unchanged |
|
|
pale, mottled |
|
eyes |
normal |
|
sunken |
|
|
temperature of extremities |
warm |
|
|
cold |
|
breathing pattern |
normal |
|
tachypnea |
|
|
peripheral pulses |
normal |
|
tachycardia |
|
|
skin turgor |
normal |
|
reduced |
|
|
mucous membranes |
moist (exclude recent drink) |
dry (exclude mouth breathing) |
|
|
|
blood pressure |
normal |
|
|
hypotension |
|
urine output |
normal |
decreased |
|
|
|
capillary refill time |
normal |
|
|
prolonged |
Specialty: Pedatrics
