aetiology
Last reviewed 10/2023
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: