Research Journal of Medical Sciences
ISSN: Online 1993-6095ISSN: Print 1815-9346
Abstract
Dehydration is a common and potentially serious condition in pediatric patients, often requiring rapid and accurate assessment to guide treatment. Traditional clinical methods for evaluating dehydration can be subjective, leading to variability in diagnosis. This study aims to assess the role of ultrasound, specifically using measurements of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and aorta, in determining dehydration severity in children. This descriptive, observational study was conducted at a tertiary care center in Maharashtra, India, over a period of three months. A total of 75 pediatric patients presenting with dehydration were included. Ultrasound was used to measure the IVC cross‐sectional area, aorta cross‐sectional area and IVC/aorta ratios. These measurements were correlated with clinical dehydration scales and analyzed for their accuracy and reliability in assessing dehydration severity. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software version 20.0. Out of the 75 children, 52% showed no dehydration, 32% had mild dehydration and 8% each had moderate and severe dehydration. The IVC cross‐sectional area was significantly larger in dehydrated patients (p<0.01). The IVC/aorta area ratio demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy, with a sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 75%. There was a near‐perfect agreement (Cohen's Kappa=0.936) between ultrasound findings and clinical dehydration scales. Ultrasound proved to be a reliable, non‐invasive tool for assessing dehydration in children. The IVC and aorta measurements, particularly the IVC cross‐sectional area and IVC/aorta ratio, showed strong correlations with clinical dehydration severity, supporting their use as complementary diagnostic tools alongside traditional clinical assessments.
How to cite this article:
Kirti Adwani, Asit Natekar, Pradeep Raghavendra Kulkarni and Vijaykumar Mane. Ultrasound Assessment of Dehydration in Children.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36478/10.36478/makrjms.2024.11.525.531
URL: https://www.makhillpublications.co/view-article/1815-9346/10.36478/makrjms.2024.11.525.531