How to manage the care of the dehydrated child

Caring for a child with dehydration is a common occurrence in acute paediatric settings and as such the ability to recognise and treat this condition is a vital skill for nurses who care for children. Failure to appropriately recognise dehydration when it occurs can lead to fast deterioration of the child's clinical condition and can be fatal. Children are more likely to become dehydrated than adults and often deteriorate quicker than adults when unwell, so the nurse caring for this patient group is required to respond with speed and skill to provide the appropriate care at the right time.

The NHS defines dehydration as the body losing more fluid than it is taking in (NHS website, 2019). Dehydration in children is usually caused by diarrhoea and vomiting or systemic infection, but can also be the result of a number of other underlying conditions (Forman et al, 2012).