hydrationsupport

Hydration support is a set of interventions intended to maintain or restore the body's fluid balance in healthy individuals and those with medical needs. It encompasses preventive strategies for daily life and performance, as well as therapeutic measures during illness, injury, or recovery from surgery.

In everyday use, hydration support focuses on adequate fluid intake and access to fluids during heat, physical activity, travel, or illness. In clinical settings, it includes strategies to treat dehydration and electrolyte disturbances, monitor fluid status, and tailor fluid composition to the patient’s condition. Common approaches include oral rehydration therapy and the use of intravenous fluids when oral intake is insufficient or unsafe.

Oral rehydration therapy relies on balanced electrolyte solutions that typically contain water, sodium, potassium, chloride, and carbohydrates such as glucose. Intravenous hydration uses isotonic fluids, including normal saline or balanced crystalloids like lactated Ringer’s solution, to rapidly correct deficits and maintain circulating volume. Enteral hydration via feeding tubes may be employed in patients who cannot take fluids by mouth but need ongoing fluid and nutrient delivery.

Assessment of hydration status combines clinical signs (skin turgor, mucous membranes, urination) with intake–output monitoring and, when necessary, laboratory measurements of serum osmolality and electrolytes. Safety considerations include preventing fluid overload and electrolyte imbalances such as hyponatremia; special caution is advised for infants, the elderly, and individuals with kidney or heart disease.

See also dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, oral rehydration therapy, intravenous fluids. Hydration support is generally implemented under appropriate medical guidance, particularly in clinical contexts.