II. Indications
- Severe Pediatric Dehydration
- Treat Mild to Moderate Dehydration with Oral Rehydration Therapy Protocol in Pediatric Dehydration
III. Labs
- Indications
- Severe Pediatric Dehydration
- Altered Mental Status
- Age <6 months
- Serum Electrolytes
- Obtain in all cases of severe Dehydration (not typically needed in mild to moderate Dehydration)
- Correct serious Electrolyte abnormalities prior to starting phase 2 (maintenance replacement)
- Serum bicarbonate
- Serum bicarbonate >15-17 mEq/L decreases the likelihood of Clinically SignificantDehydration
- Serum bicarbonate <13 mEq/L increases the likelihood that Oral Rehydration Solution will fail
- Teach (1997) Clin Pediatr 36(7): 395-400 [PubMed]
- Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) and BUN to Creatinine Ratio
- Unreliable marker in Pediatric Dehydration
-
Serum Glucose
- Monitor in infants and toddlers with Diarrhea
- Serum Glucose <40 mg/dl is also a trigger for initiating IV fluid management
- Other testing only as indicated by history
- Complete Blood Count
- Urinalysis
- Specific gravity is an unreliable marker
- Stool Cultures
- Consider NAT Stool testing in Immunocompromised children, bloody Diarrhea (Dysentery)
IV. Management: General
- Treat Mild to Moderate Dehydration with Oral Rehydration Therapy Protocol in Pediatric Dehydration instead
- This protocol is intended for severe Dehydration requiring IV Resuscitation
- See ABC Management
- Treat Hypoglycemia independent of initial fluid boluses
- See Intravenous Dextrose
- Add dextrose to maintenance fluids
- Obtain early IV Access in severe Dehydration
- Obtain Intraosseous Access if unable to obtain IV Access
-
Ondansetron (Zofran)
- Aids transition to Oral Rehydration Therapy
V. Management: Initial Replacement (Phase 1 Acute Resuscitation)
- Give 20 ml/kg Normal Saline or Lactated Ringers over 10-15 minutes
- May repeat bolus until circulation stable
- May require up to 60 ml/kg within the first 1-2 hours
- Consider other causes of shock (e.g. Septic Shock) if refractory to fluid boluses
- Stabilization criteria include
- Improved Sinus Tachycardia
- Capillary Refill <2 seconds
- Intact mental status
- Adequate Urine Output (>1 ml/kg/h)
- After fluid boluses until circulation stable
- Administer 100 ml/kg of fluid
- Option 1: Oral Rehydration Solution
- Option 2: Intravenous Normal Saline or Lactated Ringers
- Initiate maintenance fluids
- Option 1: Oral Rehydration Solution
- Option 2: Continue intravenous hydration as below
- Administer 100 ml/kg of fluid
VI. Management: Maintenance Replacement with IV fluids (Phase 2 Resuscitation)
- See Oral Rehydration Therapy Protocol in Pediatric Dehydration (mild to moderate Dehydration)
- Start the oral rehydration protocol (see above)
- Calculate 24 hour maintenance requirements
- Calculate Deficit (See Pediatric Dehydration)
- Mild Dehydration: 3-5% deficit (50 ml/kg deficit, 30 ml/kg if >10 kg)
- Moderate Dehydration: 6-10% deficit (100 ml/kg deficit, 60 ml/kg if >10 kg)
- Severe Dehydration: >10% deficit (120 ml/kg deficit)
- Calculate remaining deficit
- Subtract fluid resucitation given in Phase 1
- Some guidelines recommend replacement of deficit in 4 hours followed by oral maintenance
- Calculate Replacement over 24 hours
- First 8 hours: 50% Deficit + Maintenance
- Next 16 hours: 50% Deficit + Maintenance
- Determine Serum Sodium Concentration
- Pediatric Hypertonic Dehydration (Serum Sodium > 150)
- Pediatric Hypotonic Dehydration (Serum Sodium < 130)
- Pediatric Isotonic Dehydration
- Add Dextrose to maintenance fluids
- Use D5 NS instead of Hypotonic Saline
- Exercise caution with hypotonic solutions (Hyponatremia)
- Use D5 NS as maintenance fluid instead of D5 1/2NS
- McNab (2015) Lancet [PubMed]
- Weight <28 kg: D5 1/2NS (prior recommendation D5 1/4NS)
- Weight >28 kg: D5 NS
- Add Potassium to Intravenous Fluids after patient voids
- Potassium source
- Potassium Chloride
- Potassium Acetate for Metabolic Acidosis
- Potassium dosing
- Weight <10 kilograms: 10 meq/liter KCl
- Weight >10 Kilograms: 20 meq/liter KCl
- Potassium source
- Correct for ongoing losses
- Reassess intakes and outputs every 4 hours
- Adjust fluids to maintain adequate Urine Output and Vital Signs
- Replace stool outputs
- Indicated if stool >30/ml/kg/day
- Replace equal volume of stool losses with 1/2NS with 20 kcl (in addition to maintenance volume)
- Replace ongoing fever-related losses
- Replace 1 ml/kg/hour per degree increase above normal (in celsius)
- Reassess intakes and outputs every 4 hours
VII. Resources
- Vega and Bhimji (2017) Pediatric Dehydration in Stat Pearls
VIII. References
- Walton (2020) Crit Dec Emerg Med 34(6): 3-9
- Canavan (2009) Am Fam Physician 80(7):692-6 [PubMed]