Can someone help me with this question?

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Aug 29, 2006

The answer is the baby with diarrhea. Do you understand why? I think that is the important concept you need to understand here. Quoting from Metheny, "A large loss of liquid stools can rapidly deplete the young child's ECF volume. . ." (page 400, Fluid and Electrolyte Balance: Nursing Considerations by Norma M. Metheny). In the book she has a chapter that addresses fluid balance in the elderly and there is only research to show dehydration occurring in nursing home residents. It is most often due to underlying medical problems that restricts them in some way from their ability to take in oral fluids. That is very different from being dehydrated from an acute case of diarrhea.

The baby will dehydrate faster and be more acutely ill before any elderly adult who is just not taking in adequate oral fluids.

VRN-RN · Aug 29, 2006

Which client is at greatest risk for dehydration?
An infant with diarrhea
An elderly person who lives alone
This is one of my study questions and I had picked the infant but my friend said no it's the elderly person. Due to more risk factors. Is she right? She's convincing me now...

i think that you are correct because when you have diarrhea, you loose electrolites (spelling), if i am correct. when you lose those electrolites your body needs for them to be replaced, keeping you hydrated. now when your an infant you can't just go the frig. and open it and say "eh i think i'll have a glass of water to replace my electorlites". parents or whoever is watching the infant needs be the one to rehydrate the child. do u understand what i am trying to say? infants would have more risk factors than the elderly person just because they have not yet developed that mentality to fend for themselves.