When a parent asks how they will know if their 2-month-old baby,who is throwing up and has frequent diarrhea,is dehydrated,the nurse's best response is
A) "Clinical dehydration is the combination of extracellular fluid volume deficit and hypernatremia, so those are the diagnostic criteria."
B) "If he doesn't wet his diaper all afternoon and his neck veins look flat when he is lying down, then he is probably dehydrated."
C) "If he sleeps more than usual and acts tired when he is awake, then he is probably dehydrated."
D) "If the soft spot on the top of his head feels sunken in and his mouth is dry between his cheek and his gums, then he is probably dehydrated."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Checking whether the head feels sunken and the mouth is dry between check and gums are useful assessments of ECV deficit in an infant,which is an important part of clinical dehydration.It is true that clinical dehydration is the combination of extracellular fluid volume deficit and hypernatremia,but it does not address the question Mr.Worry is asking.Although the diaper information provides a useful assessment,neck veins are not a reliable assessment in an infant.Drowsiness and fatigue are not reliable assessments for dehydration.

When a Parent Asks How They Will Know If Their