Investigation of Inferior Vena Cava Diameter Measurements as An Assessment Criterion in Acute Dehydration

Abstract

Aim: Acute dehydration due to gastroenteritis is a significant and preventable cause of childhood mortality worldwide. "We used bedside ultrasonography to compare inferior vena cava/Abdominal aorta (IVC/Ao) diameter ratios before and after treatment in patients with acute dehydration and controls, offering a novel, rapid, and objective assessment tool. Material and Method: This study included 68 children admitted to Düzce University Medical Faculty Hospital Pediatric Emergency. 34 of them were patients had acute severe dehydration, and the other 34 case were in the healthy Control Group (CG). IVC and Ao were measured in the transverse plane below the xiphoid process using bedside ultrasonography (USG). Results: A significant difference was found in the IVC/Ao ratio between the Patient Group (PG) and CG (p<0.001). When PG pre- and post-treatment measurements were compared, the results were highly significant (p<0.001). The lack of correlation between the IVC/Ao ratio and age and weight demonstrated that it could be used in the assessment of children of all ages and weights. Conclusion: The IVC/Ao ratio is a rapid and innovative assessment method that can be applied across various age groups and weight categories.

Keywords

• Acute gastroenteritis
• acute dehydration
• bedside ultrasonography
• inferior vena cava
• abdominal aorta diameter

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