Children can die if they lose a lot of water due to diarrhea

Posted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Thi Dinh - Pediatrician - Pediatric Center - Vinmec Times City International Hospital

Diarrhea is a common digestive disease in children, depending on the cause and signs, there will be different treatment methods. However, if children with diarrhea are not treated, timely rehydration and electrolytes will lead to dehydration, lethargy, cardiovascular collapse and possibly death.

1. What is dehydration?

Dehydration is the term doctors use to describe a condition when the body loses too much water. Losing too much water is an alarming condition of the body because the body needs a certain amount of water to regulate the body's vital activities. Another term that doctors sometimes use is "volumetric hypoplasia".
Accordingly, children are at a higher risk of dehydration than adults due to several factors:
Children's bodies are smaller than adults Children are more likely to be infected with viruses that cause vomiting and diarrhea, leading to to dehydration. The water intake of infants and young children depends on adults and children do not know how to tell adults the need to drink water when thirsty.

Tiêu chảy ra máu là bệnh gì — Trẻ em thuộc nhóm đối tượng dễ bị tiêu chảy do virus gây ra

2. What are the signs of dehydration in a child with diarrhea?

Dehydration in children with diarrhea can range from mild to severe. Mild dehydration usually does not cause alarm in the body. But if mild dehydration is left untreated, it can become severe and dangerous. Severe dehydration is an urgent medical emergency and can be life-threatening.
Children with mild dehydration may not notice any symptoms. As dehydration gets worse, they can cause symptoms like:
Child feels thirsty Urinating little or dark yellow or brown urine Dry mouth or chapped lips No tears when baby crying Baby tired or lethargic Sunken eyes Sunken fontanelle (in young children with fontanel) Severe dehydration can cause a baby to breathe irregularly or go into a coma.

Trẻ sốt li bì — Mệt mỏi là một trong các dấu hiệu mất nước ở trẻ bị tiêu chảy

3. What is the risk of dehydration in children with diarrhea?

Dehydration due to diarrhea in children can cause the following risks:
Causes convulsions, coma, abdominal distension, intestinal paralysis, cardiac arrhythmia due to electrolyte disturbances. Breathing disturbance, metabolic acidosis, hypovolemic shock Death Dehydration due to diarrhea can leave dangerous complications, so it is necessary to quickly treat and rehydrate the child.
Accordingly, doctors will appoint outpatient treatment for cases of diarrhea without signs of dehydration or mild dehydration by giving children Oresol solution mixed according to the instructions as indicated for each school. suitable (for young children: give it by spoon, if the child vomits, wait 10 minutes for the child to drink again at a slower rate, continue to breastfeed).

In addition, doctors may prescribe hospital treatment for more severe cases of dehydration.
To prevent dehydration due to diarrhea, doctors recommend breastfeeding, using clean water to eat and drink, at the same time, eating cooked food, drinking boiling water, washing hands often with soap. In particular, parents should be fully vaccinated against cholera, typhoid and give their children rota to prevent diarrhea caused by Rotavirus.

Tiêm chủng, tiêm phòng, tiêm vacxin tại vinmec — Cha mẹ nên đưa trẻ đi tiêm chủng đầy đủ, giúp ngăn ngừa một số bệnh lý thường gặp ở trẻ nhỏ

Vinmec International General Hospital has been deploying immunization services with a variety of vaccines for different audiences, from infants, young children, adults, and women before and during pregnancy pregnant. At Vinmec, there are fully qualified modern medical facilities to preserve vaccines as well as a comfortable play space for children before and after the injection monitoring process. In particular, customers will be fully examined and screened for physical and health problems, advised on preventive vaccines and injection regimens, how to monitor and care for children after vaccination before leaving. Indications for vaccination according to the latest recommendations of the Ministry of Health & World Health Organization.
To register for examination and vaccination, please contact directly to Vinmec Health System nationwide or book an appointment HERE.

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