Body fluids and salt metabolism - Part I

Table 1 "4-item 8-point rating scale" clinical dehydration scale [12].

	Score
Characteristic	0	1	2
General appearance	Normal	Thirsty, restless or lethargic but irritable when touched	Drowsy, limp, cold, or sweathy; comatose or not
Eyes	Normal	Slightly sunken	Very sunken
Mucous membranes (tongue)	Moist	Sticky	Dry
Tears	Tears	Decreased tears	Absent tears

The score consists of 4 clinical items, which may be summed for a total score ranging from 0 to 8. The final 3 categories are no or minimal dehydration (< 3%; score of 0), mild dehydration (3% to < 6% dehydration; score of 1--4), and moderate to severe dehydration (≥ 10% dehydration; score of 5--8).

ISSN: 1824-7288