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Odwodnienie powoduje szereg skutków ubocznych w organizmie człowieka. Może być przyczyną problemów z pamięcią, bólów głowy, a także powodować drgawki i wiele innych. Już nawet najmniejsze odwodnienie na poziomie 1% może obniżać funkcje poznawcze

Dehydration risks for healthcare workers - a danger for staff and patients?

DEHYDRATION causes a number of side effects in the human body. It can cause memory problems, headaches, as well as causing seizures and many others.
Even the slightest dehydration of 1% can reduce cognitive function. In the case of dehydration at a level of 3% %, the deterioration of concentration and cognitive functions can be similar to the disorders occurring with with 0.8‰ of alcohol in the blood, when the risk of a driver causing an accident increases up to 10 times! 

This is why proper hydration and electrolyte balance are so important. However, it appears that medical staff can be significantly dehydrated when providing care to patients.

Dehydrated doctors and nurses at work

Correct hydration of the body is extremely important; disturbances in this subject can lead to unpleasant consequences. DEHYDRATION results mainly in a worsened sense of wellbeing, headaches, lethargy, decreased concentration and, in some cases, is directly life-threatening. In recent years, studies have been carried out to test the hydration of medical staff while at work. Unfortunately, the results proved to be very worrying.

A scientific article by El-Sharkawa A. et al. was published in the journal Elsevier Elsevier in 2015, which examined the hydration levels of doctors and nurses during work. The study was conducted among 88 doctors and nurses during 130 total shifts at work, at Nottingham University Hospital. 52% of those surveyed worked one shift and 48% worked two shifts. 36% of the subjects were already dehydrated before the start of their shift, and by the end of their shift the number of dehydrated subjects had increased to as many as 45%! At the same time, the results of the Sternberg short-term memory tests indicated that it was significantly impaired in the dehydrated study participants.

Dehydration can significantly impair concentration and cognitive function, directly affecting the speed of decisions and actions. It can therefore be hazardous to the health of doctors or those caring for patients, but it can also be a direct threat to life for the patient themselves. 

 What could be the reason for this? First and foremost, the intensive way of working - employees lack adequate breaks where they can find a moment to regularly rehydrate. Added to this is the constant stress, time pressure or the need to work in personal protective equipment for long periods of time.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) already warned about dehydrated nurses problem in 2018. Nurses who are dehydrated could be making critical decisions for patient safety. The RCN urges people to take care to stay hydrated, to take advantage of breaks and, in particular, to remember to hydrate also during the pressure of busy workloads. Medical staff need to remember that breaks are not a 'luxury' or a privilege - they are a necessary time in which they can take care of themselves and thus care for patients more effectively. A tired, dehydrated medical worker can pose a danger to themselves as well as the patient. 

The last years in the pandemic have been a dangerous time in health care not only because of COVID-19. Medical workers were even more vulnerable to dehydration in the pandemic than before. This is primarily due to the safety measures required during the work. Suits that impede breathing and thermoregulation, masks, protective clothing - all of this increases water loss and most simply makes it difficult to simply drink. In addition, long shifts, little sleep, increased stress and lack of time to eat and drink can translate into danger in patient care.

This was confirmed by Andrés Rojo-Rojo's team in the results of their pilot study on staff in the intensive care unit of the Virgen de la Arrixaca Hospital in Murcia, Spain.

The study subjects working in the ward, while working for 45-60 minutes in the required personal protective equipment, showed sweating intensities similar to professional athletes playing sports such as badminton or futsal. Obviously, the physical exertion and intensity during the tasks in the case of a nurse is significantly lower than that of a sports person, so the results of the study clearly indicate an increased risk of dehydration among those working in such conditions.

It is not difficult to draw a conclusion from all the examples cited. Medical staff themselves need to be adequately cared for in order to be able to fully care for those in need. For this to happen, solutions need to be found to contribute to the proper hydration, rest and nutrition of doctors and nurses. Rest breaks, as well as access to quick and effective hydrating drinks, can significantly reduce the problem of dangerous dehydration. odwodnienia.

Electrolytes as an ad hoc solution to a problem?

Drinks with electrolytes can only indirectly solve the problem. Electrolytes will keep our body hydrated and in a shorter period of time can significantly reduce the risk of getting dehydratedagain. Why is this only an ad hoc solution to the problem? Because there needs to be a bigger change in the approach to the subject of caring for healthcare personnel including their proper hydration. If healthcare workers do not take the time to have a basic rest, a meal or the proverbial 'sip of water' then the problem will not go away. 

How can electrolyte drinks prevent dehydration?

  • DEHYDRATION is not only a shortage of water, but also electrolyte mineralssuch as sodium, potassium and magnesium. Drinks with electrolytes can replenish these losses.
  • Electrolyte drinks that have a lower osmolality than human body fluids (hypotonic drinks) rehydrate faster and more effectively than water.
  • The replenishment of electrolyte starts improves concentration and the overall functioning of the human body.

Summary

DEHYDRATION w ochronie zdrowia to fakt udokumentowany w badaniach oraz stanowiskach naukowych. Stanowi ono niebezpieczeństwo zarówno bezpośrednio dla lekarza, pielęgniarki i pozostałych pracowników, jak i pośrednio dla leczonych pacjentów.

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