How to assess dehydration in a child
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In Making Synapses you practice it on the patient.
Children dehydrate fast. Combine several signs to judge how much.
Step by step
History
Vomiting, diarrhea, intake, wet diapers in the last 24 hours. [1]
Appearance
Alert, irritable or lethargic. [1]
Eyes and mouth
Sunken eyes, no tears, dry mouth. [1]
Skin and refill
Capillary refill longer than 2 seconds, skin pinch slow. [1]
Vital signs
Fast heart rate, deep breathing. [1]
Weight
Compare with a recent weight if known. [1]
Plan
Oral rehydration for mild to moderate; urgent IV for severe. [1]
Common errors
- Relying on one sign.
- Not counting wet diapers.
- Missing lethargy.
Practice it in Making Synapses
In Making Synapses you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.
Making Synapses cases that train this skill
- Child with diarrhea and dehydration
- Anorexia nervosa with dehydration
- Dehydration with Alzheimer and delirium
- Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
- Urinary tract infection with delirium
- Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state
8 Making Synapses cases train this skill: open the case library
Sources
- OpenStax, Clinical Nursing Skills (reference)
- NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint
- Stanford Medicine 25 (bedside exam)
- Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College) (CC BY 4.0)
Steps adapted from Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Facts and steps also follow NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint; Stanford Medicine 25 (bedside exam). Making Synapses is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.