Mr. C is currently dehydrated and has lost 5.5 kg. Assessment findings that support Mr. C’s dehydration status are his electrolyte levels, BUN level, specific gravity, weight loss, dry skin and mucous membranes, and persistent vomiting. One of the first indicators of Mr. C’s dehydration is that he has been vomiting for three days. As he persistently vomits for prolonged time, he is losing a large amount of fluids. Continuously vomiting reduces a certain amount of fluids within the body that make up Mr. C’s weight. The loss in fluids has affected his weight loss as, the “reduction in body weight can also be detected even if dehydration is mild” (Ruxton, 2012). Another indicator of dehydration would be his dry mucous membranes and skin. One of the best things to do for dehydration is to “assess the skin and mucous membranes for color, moisture, and turgor” (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2016, p.156). This is a common side effect that is dealt with dehydration.
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C is losing more fluids through vomiting than through urine, which causes him to excrete low amounts of urine which can indicate the reason for urine output of 125ml in eight hours. Fluids exiting the body is affecting Mr. C’s elevated Na levels as, “if free body water were to decrease, the serum sodium concentration would rise” (Skyscape, 2015). This is significant as water from the body is being excreted more than sodium is, which is then increasing sodium levels in the body. Therefore, with Na at 154, it’s considered hypernatremia, and “as sodium levels increase, water moves from the cells into the intravascular space, which can lead to cellular dehydration” (Yoost, 2016, p. 998); with more Na, it leads to dehydration. With the increase of Na, it affects the decrease of K, therefore, “as sodium is reabsorbed, K is lost” (Skyscape,
C is losing more fluids through vomiting than through urine, which causes him to excrete low amounts of urine which can indicate the reason for urine output of 125ml in eight hours. Fluids exiting the body is affecting Mr. C’s elevated Na levels as, “if free body water were to decrease, the serum sodium concentration would rise” (Skyscape, 2015). This is significant as water from the body is being excreted more than sodium is, which is then increasing sodium levels in the body. Therefore, with Na at 154, it’s considered hypernatremia, and “as sodium levels increase, water moves from the cells into the intravascular space, which can lead to cellular dehydration” (Yoost, 2016, p. 998); with more Na, it leads to dehydration. With the increase of Na, it affects the decrease of K, therefore, “as sodium is reabsorbed, K is lost” (Skyscape,