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Nursing Homes Have A Dehydration Problem
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Nursing homes often face a dehydration issue that cannot be solved simply by drinking more water. Dehydration can lead to various health problems, creating a significant need for improved hydration.
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Micronutrient supplementation is an effective solution to the hydration gap. Learn more in the infographic below.
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<a href="https://www.driptiv.com/nursing-homes-have-a-dehydration-problem"><IMG SRC="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/750bfd_40e11657b0a94d84babbd6e8a0a9815b~mv2.jpg" alt="Nursing Homes Have a Dehydration Problem. Here’s How to Fix It." width="800" border="0" /></a><br />Source: <a href="https://www.driptiv.com">DriptIV.com</a>
Nursing Homes Have a Dehydration Problem. Here’s How to Fix It.
50% - 90% of nursing home patients are at risk for dehydration. Many can’t get enough hydration by orally drinking water — leading to comorbidities and an early risk of death.
Understanding the Hydration Gap
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Typically patients with:
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Weight Loss/Malnutrition risks
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Wounds
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Infections
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Water intake is not the same thing as hydration
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Water intake: Water into the body
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Hydration: Water into the cells
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Hydration requires electrolytes (vitamins and minerals) which some patients can’t get from diets and water alone
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These patients need more acute care than others, sometimes resulting in hospital stays
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Patients admitted to hospitals from nursing homes are 10x more likely to be dehydrated than if they came from their own homes
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Even drinking 5% less water leads to dehydration, which is referred to as a Dehydration Cascade
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Intracellular fluid shift: To balance extracellular fluid, the body moves water out of the organs and into the bloodstream
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Mood, fatigue, cognition: As water exits vital organs like the brain, the patient may report a worsened mood, high levels of fatigue, and reduced cognitive ability
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Reduced participation: Now severely dehydrated, the patient withdraws into their room and is less willing to get involved in personal care
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Highest risk factors: The patient experiences worse outcomes from care and may require reactive interventions
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Dehydration may be a simple problem, but it’s not easy to solve. 51% of nursing home residents can be considered dehydrated, and 89% may be severely dehydrated according to plasma osmolality
The Effects of Dehydration Cascade on Nursing Homes
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Dehydration is the cause of poor patient outcomes — which unequally affects patients in the Hydration Gap
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Increases risks for falls
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Leads to prolonged surgical recovery
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Contributes to longer hospital stays and higher mortality rates
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Dehydration doesn't start with lab values
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Medications might make dehydration worse
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Known to deplete fluids and leave patients at higher risk
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Anti-Diabetics
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Anti-Convulsants
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Anti-Depressants
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Lab values only confirm dehydration, not prevent it
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Certain blood conditions worsen the effects of dehydration
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Elevated Hemoglobin: <9.32 mmol/L
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Low Potassium: <3.5 mmol/L
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Elevated Sodium: >145mmol/L
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Many patients aren’t even unaware they are dehydrated
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Cognitive decline: Unable to communicate their needs with caregivers
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Physical markers: The body’s signals for thirst decline with age
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Salt loss: Even if patients drink enough water, imbalanced electrolytes and micronutrients prevent them from hydrating effectively
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Lower urine concentrating ability: As a person ages, their kidneys lose the ability to concentrate urine, which requires larger amounts of water to flush out
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Dript IV works with veteran clinicians to develop science-backed treatments that will close the hydration gap for good
How Micronutrient Supplementation Fights The Hydration Gap
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Micronutrient supplementation: providing the body with key micronutrients to improve dehydration and therapeutic outcomes
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Delivering intravenously to:
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Rebalance intracellular fluid
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Reset the baseline for sustained oral hydration
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Reduce risk and improve cognitive function
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Clinically proven to support plans of care
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Not medication, but nutrition
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The right infusions address:
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Hydration: for at-risk patients
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Vitamin C
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B Complex
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B12
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Derma: for chronic wounds
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Biotin
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Zinc
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Amino blend
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Nutrition: for nutritionally deficient patients
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Magnesium Chloride
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Calcium Gluconate
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BCAA
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Cognition: for patients with cognitive impairments
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B7 Biotin
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Taurine
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Glycine
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Infection: for patients with infections or are immunocompromised
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Amino Blend
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Glutathione
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B5
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Learn more about solving the hydration gap with DriptIV.com]
Sources
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0141076814566260
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S152586101830416X
https://www.driptiv.com/hydration
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11528342/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3670161/