Dehydration - and PowerPoint - Research Paper Example

Dehydration requires immediate therapy via rehydrating the body with fluids and also treating the underlying cause. It can be tested for by a physical examination which reveals features like sunken eyes and an increased heart rate and also via laboratory tests which include complete blood count, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. This condition must be dealt with immediately as it can prove to be fatal in severe cases. “Dehydration describes a state of negative fluid balance that may be caused by numerous disease entities.

Diarrheal illnesses are the most common etiologies. Worldwide, dehydration secondary to diarrheal illness is the leading cause of infant and child mortality.” (Huang H., Anchala K.R., Ellsbury D.L. & George C.S. 2009). Water is an essential component of life and it is a vital part of existence of living matter. Proper hydration of the human body is extremely essential for carrying out the normal bodily activities. Water in the human body is divided into proper compartments which chiefly include the intracellular fluid and the extracellular fluid.

This extracellular volume comprises principally of fluid between the cells and the fluid that lies with the vascular compartment. Equilibrium between the water that is taken in and the water that is lost from the human body is very important. Water is lost from the body in the form of urine, feces, breathing and by the process of evaporation. This loss needs to be compensated for. The body performs its mechanisms which include hormonal stimulation and nervous signals which stimulate the thirst center and also the renal function of re-absorption of water is brought into action.

This leads to the maintenance of balance between water taken in and lost. Any imbalance in this normal equilibrium can result in the condition which is known as dehydration. Dehydration is the state of the body in which there is decreased amount of