Dehydration Clinical Pathway, Emergency Department and Inpatient – Goals and Metrics

Dehydration Clinical Pathway — Emergency Department and Inpatient

Goals

  • Use ORT to orally rehydrate most dehydrated children in the ED
  • Teach and have family demonstrate ORT prior to discharge
  • Safely and rapidly IV rehydrate dehydrated children who failed ORT
  • Give dextrose-sugar containing fluid early in the treatment of dehydration to rapidly reverse ketosis
  • Assure that hypotonic fluids are never administered faster than
    maintenance rate
  • Reduce length of stay of patients admitted for dehydration
  • Increase appropriate use of NG over IV rehydration

Metrics

  • Increase appropriate use of oral rehydration therapy
  • Decrease the percentage of patients receiving IV therapy
  • Increase the percentage of patients receiving ondansetron (when clinically appropriate)
  • Decrease LOS for patients with gastroenteritis and dehydration
  • Decrease LOS for patients admitted for dehydration
  • Decrease the duration of IV therapy