The nurse is working with a child who has a diagnosis of gastroenteritis. The child becomes dehydrated, has serum sodium of 125 milliequivalents per liter, and goes into shock. After corrective measures to restore the child's electrolyte balance and hydration status, the nurse realizes that this child had which of the following types of dehydration?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Hypotonic dehydration occurs when the sodium loss exceeds the water loss, leading to a serum sodium level lower than normal (<135 milliequivalents per liter), as indicated by the child's serum sodium of 125 milliequivalents per liter.

The Nurse Is Working with a Child Who Has a Diagnosis