Volume Depletion Versus Dehydration: How Understanding the Difference Can Guide Therapy.
Am J Kidney Dis. 2011 Jun 24;
Authors: Bhave G, Neilson EG
Although often used interchangeably, dehydration and volume depletion are not synonyms. Dehydration refers to loss of total-body water, producing hypertonicity, which now is the preferred term in lieu of dehydration, whereas volume depletion refers to a deficit in extracellular fluid volume. In particular, hypertonicity implies intracellular volume contraction, whereas volume depletion implies blood volume contraction. Using a case of hyperglycemic hypertonic nonketosis as an example, we examine the changing composition of body fluid spaces to explore the distinction between dehydration and hypertonicity from volume depletion.
PMID: 21705120 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]