Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and its impediments are one of the foremost causes of mortality in children worldwide. AGE is well-defined as a diarrheal disease of severe onset “with or without associated nausea, vomiting, fever, or abdominal pain”. In this review, which is envisioned mainly for use in children aged one week to five years with clinically established AGE, it is suggested to use the WHO guidelines for the valuation and classification of dehydration in pediatric emergency department setting, predominantly a resource-limited one.

In addition to the WHO classification of dehydration, the general guides may make available clinical handles to enhancement the valuation process and remove possible uncertainty. The investigation of anterior fontanel is not trustworthy in the assessment of dehydration. Parental reporting of normal urine output decreases the likelihood of ≥≥ 5% dehydration.

The WHO classification of dehydration in children with AGE appears to be simple yet applied. With an addition of clinical grips from other international guidelines, as advised in this review, a clinician may find themselves well-fortified for a more precise and faster clinical assessment in a busy hospital emergency department setting.

Source: Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences (SJMS), 2020: 15(2).