WHO dehydration assessment
Paediatrics
Also known as: WHO-Einteilung der Dehydratation bei Kindern · DSÖ dehidratasyon değerlendirmesi · WHO dehydration assessment in children with diarrhoea (no / some / severe)
What it is for
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies dehydration in a child with diarrhoea into three categories from four signs: general condition, eyes, thirst and skin pinch.
Classification
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Severe dehydration | two or more of: lethargic or unconscious; sunken eyes; drinks poorly or is not able to drink; skin pinch goes back very slowly (more than 2 seconds). |
| Some dehydration | not severe, but two or more of: restless or irritable; sunken eyes; thirsty, drinks eagerly; skin pinch goes back slowly. |
| No signs of dehydration | not enough signs for some or severe dehydration (typically well and alert, normal eyes, drinks normally, skin pinch goes back quickly). |
| Notes | lethargic is not the same as asleep (the child cannot be fully woken); some children's eyes are normally somewhat sunken, so ask the carer; the skin pinch is less reliable in marasmus, kwashiorkor or obesity. |
Source
The treatment of diarrhoea: a manual for physicians and other senior health workers, 4th revision
WHO · World Health Organization, Geneva 2005 (ISBN 92 4 159318 0)
- Edition
- WHO, The treatment of diarrhoea, 4th revision (2005); same scheme in the WHO Pocket Book of Hospital Care for Children (2nd ed., 2013)
- Checked on
Summary of the published classification in our own words. Not a substitute for the original publication.
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