IV fluids can sometimes mean the difference between life and death during a medical emergency. When a patient needs intravenous fluids administered quickly, there is no better option for treatment. Dehydration is one of the most common reasons for patients to be given an IV and, because dehydration can be life-threatening when left untreated. It’s important to know how to get treated fast. Can Urgent Care give IV fluids? Do you have to go to a hospital or emergency room? In this article, we will learn more about dehydration and how it can be treated by emergency care facilities in your time of need.
Dehydration: Causes and Symptoms
By definition, dehydration is a lack of a sufficient amount of water in the body. Because our bodies are roughly 60% water, it stands to reason that an adequate amount of water is needed for them to function properly.
Throughout the day, humans are constantly engaging in a fluid exchange process, where fluids are being lost and gained. Dehydration occurs when the body fails to reach and maintain an equilibrium of hydration and with it come a variety of potentially dangerous side effects.
Causes of Dehydration
As previously stated, the body is constantly gaining and losing fluid. We bring water into our system by drinking and eating water-rich foods; contrary to popular belief, humans cannot absorb water through their skin. Humans lose water through the ways you might expect: sweating and eliminating. We also lose a small amount of water through exhalation, as water vapor is released through our breath. Dehydration occurs when we are not taking in enough fluids to supplement the amount of water our bodies lose daily. Simply put, the number one cause of dehydration is not drinking enough water!
It is especially important to drink water and keep yourself hydrated when you are experiencing the following:
Excess Sweating, in response to activity or extreme heat
Fever
Vomiting
Diarrhea
These conditions cause our bodies to lose water at a faster-than-normal rate and require active fluid intake to avoid dehydration and the need for medical care.
Symptoms of Dehydration
You may be moderately dehydrated if you are experiencing any of the following:
Extreme Thirst
Dry Mouth or Swollen Tongue
Infrequent Urination
Dark-Colored Urine
Headache
Muscle cramps
Chances are that, if it occurs to you that you’re thirsty, your body is already dehydrated. Be sure to drink the recommended amount of water each day as a preventative measure.
Treatment for Dehydration
In cases of mild to moderate dehydration, treatment can usually be provided at home. If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of dehydration, do the following:
Slowly drink water, as too much water too soon could shock the system.
Eat ice cubes or popsicles
Drink something with electrolytes, like Gatorade. Electrolytes help regulate chemical reactions in the body and balance the amount of fluid in our cells.
Avoid caffeine since it is a diuretic, and can dehydrate you further.
Rest in cool shade
Bathe wrists, ankles and neck in cool water to lower your overall body temperature
How Do You Know if You’re Dehydrated Enough to Need Treatment?
When left untreated, severe dehydration can cause seizures, lasting brain damage, and death. Symptoms of severe dehydration can include:
Rapid Heartbeat
Sunken Eyes
Dizziness
Confusion
Fainting
Lethargy
Irritability
Poor Skin Elasticity
If you are experiencing symptoms of severe dehydration, you may be at risk of serious injury or illness and should seek out help immediately. Head to an emergency room or an urgent care clinic to have IV fluids administered via a catheter and tube connected directly to the bloodstream.
IV drips transfer vitamins and electrolytes directly into your system under the care and supervision of trained medical experts. Medicine can also be given intravenously, as recommended, to treat potential infections and manage pain caused by dehydration.
Prevention
While dehydration is, for the most part, easily treatable, it is also easily preventable. To avoid dehydration, drink water whenever possible! Be especially sure to keep hydrated when:
You feel thirsty
You are out in hot weather
You are exercising or sweating profusely
You’re experiencing high fever, diarrhea, or vomiting
Infants, young children, older adults, and individuals with chronic illnesses or specific medications can be considered more at risk for dehydration. These individuals should take special care to monitor their fluid intake or have it monitored for them.
Village Emergency Centers: Emergency Room vs. Urgent Care Center
Now to the point: can urgent care give IV fluids to treat dehydration? The answer is yes. An urgent care facility is equipped to handle cases of severe dehydration and can provide an IV drip to treat your condition. However, emergency rooms are also fully equipped to treat dehydration and are open and operating 24/7, meaning you can get treatment whenever it is needed. Emergency rooms also specialize in providing life saving treatment fast, meaning that people suffering from dehydration may receive medical attention more quickly and efficiently by opting for emergency room care over that of an urgent care clinic.
The important thing is that you or a loved one reach out immediately for medical assistance when dealing with symptoms of severe dehydration. No matter where you’re being treated, we want you to experience fast, caring, and effective treatment whenever you need it most.
The answer is yes. An urgent care facility is equipped to handle cases of severe dehydration and can provide an IV drip to treat your condition. However, emergency rooms are also fully equipped to treat dehydration and are open and operating 24/7, meaning you can get treatment whenever it is needed.
Call 911, your local emergency services number or go to the emergency room right away if you have symptoms of severe dehydration or heatstroke: A fever of 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius) or higher.Muscle twitching.Red, hot and dry skin.
Not peeing. If you're not urinating at all, it's likely you're severely dehydrated and should get immediate medical attention. Not sweating. Without enough fluids to function normally, your body can start to overheat, which can quickly lead to heat-related illnesses, such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
They may need to be admitted to hospital for treatment. In particular, babies, infants and elderly people will need urgent treatment if they become dehydrated. Fluid may be given up the nose using a nasogastric tube or using a saline drip into a vein (intravenously).
For mild dehydration, you can drink fluids (but not alcohol or caffeine). These include sports drinks, water, fruit juices, and non-caffeinated tea and soda. For moderate to severe dehydration, you may need IV (intravenous) fluids.
You'll need a medical professional to give you fluids through an IV. Severe dehydration: Symptoms include dizziness, sunken eyes, fainting, rapid breathing, and a racing heart. Children may lose over 10% of their body weight. This type of dehydration requires immediate medical attention.
When you drink a glass of water, it takes approximately 15 minutes for your body to absorb the fluid. However, when you're dehydrated, it can take about three times as long (45 minutes) for fluids to make their way from the stomach into the bloodstream and to the rest of the body.
Severe dehydration is characterized by a state of hypovolemic shock requiring rapid treatment. Initial management includes placement of an intravenous or intraosseous line and rapid administration of 20 mL/kg of an isotonic crystalloid (eg, lactated Ringer solution, 0.9% sodium chloride).
The duration of IV therapy can vary depending on the type of therapy being administered. Some therapies, such as hydration therapy, may only take 30 minutes to complete, while others, such as NAD+ therapy, can take several hours.
Electrolyte mixes like Liquid I.V.do work to hydrate, especially Liquid I.V.'s combination of glucose, salt, and amino acids. For one, the sodium-glucose-linked transporter found in the mix brings glucose and sodium into the cells of the small intestine.
IVs are permitted when the total volume administered in a 12-hour period is 100mL or less, AND the substance administered is permitted. The athlete always needs to check the amount of fluid they are receiving, as well as the anti-doping status of the substance being injected.
Moderate to severe dehydration needs medical attention. Go to an emergency room or call 911. Untreated severe dehydration can cause seizures, permanent brain damage, and even death. Call your family doctor if you're not sure if your symptoms are serious enough to go to the hospital.
You should call 911 or the local emergency number if: The person loses consciousness at any time.There is any other change in the person's alertness (for example, confusion or seizures).The person has a fever over 102°F (38.8°C).
Concussion, menopause, and hypothyroidism all have symptoms similar to being dehydrated. Here's how to tell them apart and when to seek an expert opinion. When you feel a headache (or fatigue or dizziness or mental fuzziness) come on, you may be quick to assume you're dehydrated.
Severe dehydration: Symptoms include dizziness, sunken eyes, fainting, rapid breathing, and a racing heart. Children may lose over 10% of their body weight. This type of dehydration requires immediate medical attention. You may be treated with IV fluids containing salt.
For mild issues, you can begin to rehydrate in a just few minutes. However, you will need to rest and continue to replace fluids for several hours before you begin to feel better. This process can take up to 36 hours- and possibly hospital treatment- to recover from more advanced dehydration.
If you can't get a pre-mixed rehydration solution, don't try to make one yourself. Instead, replace lost fluids naturally with sips of water, fruit juice, crushed fruit mixed with water, or salty soups or broths. Fruit juices may upset your stomach, so it's best to dilute them with water.
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