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Chronic Dehydration in Nursing Home Residents

Authors :: Masafumi Kuzuya
Masaaki Nagae
Hitoshi Komiya
Hiroyuki Umegaki
Kazuhisa Watanabe
Chi Hsien Huang
Yosuke Yamada
Joji Onishi
Source :: Nutrients, Volume 12, Issue 11, Nutrients, Vol 12, Iss 3562, p 3562 (2020)
Publication Year :: 2020
Publisher :: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2020.
Abstract: Chronic dehydration mainly occurs due to insufficient fluid intake over a lengthy period of time, and nursing home residents are thought to be at high risk for chronic dehydration. However, few studies have investigated chronic dehydration, and new diagnostic methods are needed. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to identify risk factors for chronic dehydration by measuring serum osmolality in nursing home residents and also to evaluate whether examining the inferior vena cava (IVC) and determining the IVC collapsibility index (IVC-CI) by ultrasound can be helpful in the diagnosis of chronic dehydration. A total of 108 Japanese nursing home residents aged &ge 65 years were recruited. IVC measurement was performed using a portable handheld ultrasound device. Fifteen residents (16.9%) were classified as having chronic dehydration (serum osmolality &ge 295 mOsm/kg). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that chronic dehydration was associated with dementia (odds ratio (OR), 6.290 95% confidential interval (CI), 1.270&ndash 31.154) and higher BMI (OR, 1.471 95% CI, 1.105&ndash 1.958) but not with IVC or IVC-CI. Cognitive function and body weight of residents should be considered when establishing a strategy for preventing chronic dehydration in nursing homes.