Dehydration Clinical Pathway — Emergency Department and Inpatient

Dehydration Assessment Tools

Neither tool should be used as a definitive means of assessing dehydration status
Dehydration is a combination of history and physical exam findings
Weight loss is a sensitive indicator of dehydration

10 Point Score		4 Point Score
10 Point Dehydration Assessment Tool		4 Point Dehydration Assessment Tool
Ill appearance Tachycardia Abnormal respirations Sunken eyes Absent tears Dry mucous membranes Abnormal radial pulse Capillary refill > 2 sec Decreased skin elasticity Decreased urine output		Ill appearance Dry mucous membranes Absent tears Capillary refill > 2 sec
# Features Present	Degree of Dehydration	# Features Present	Degree of Dehydration
< 3	Mild	1	Mild
≥ 3 and < 7	Moderate	2	Moderate
≥ 7	Severe	3-4	Severe

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The clinical pathways are based upon publicly available medical evidence and/or a consensus of medical practitioners at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (“CHOP”) and are current at the time of publication. These clinical pathways are intended to be a guide for practitioners and may need to be adapted for each specific patient based on the practitioner’s professional judgment, consideration of any unique circumstances, the needs of each patient and their family, and/or the availability of various resources at the health care institution where the patient is located.

Accordingly, these clinical pathways are not intended to constitute medical advice or treatment, or to create a doctor-patient relationship between/among The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (“CHOP”), its physicians and the individual patients in question. CHOP does not represent or warrant that the clinical pathways are in every respect accurate or complete, or that one or more of them apply to a particular patient or medical condition. CHOP is not responsible for any errors or omissions in the clinical pathways, or for any outcomes a patient might experience where a clinician consulted one or more such pathways in connection with providing care for that patient.