Emergency department management of dehydration in pediatric patients.

Pediatric dehydration is a top concern that leads parents to bring their children into the emergency department for evaluation. Rehydration therapy should be tailored to the severity of illness, available resources, and the child's clinical status. Although accurately determining the fluid deficit can be challenging, guidance is provided for use of scoring systems to estimate the degree of dehydration. Recommendations are given for first-line oral rehydration therapy, and for rehydration through intravenous, intraosseous, or subcutaneous methods when oral rehydration is not an option. A thoughtful, goal-directed approach that emphasizes timely rehydration, caregiver education, and careful follow-up can improve outcomes.