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Aetiology

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

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In majority of cases dehydration is caused by a disease and/or the effects of medication and NOT primarily due to lack of access to water (1).

Causes include:

  • fluid loss without water replacement - for example, an unconscious patient with fluid lost from diarrhoea, burns, vomiting, sweat, respiration
  • diabetes insipidus
  • osmotic diuresis - for example, diabetic coma
  • Conn's syndrome - hypokalaemic alkalosis
  • Cushing's syndrome
  • incorrect intravenous fluid replacement
  • some patients with hyperosmolar non-ketoacidotic diabetic coma; this condition may also cause hyponatraemia
  • hypothalamic dysfunction

Reference:

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