Detection of voluntary dehydration in paediatric populations using non-invasive point-of-care saliva and urine testing

Abstract

Aim: Voluntary dehydration, or lack of fluid intake despite water availability, is common in otherwise healthy children, and can lead to adverse effects. Most dehydration biomarkers are impractical for routine assessment in paediatric populations. This study aimed to assess two non-invasive hydration assessment tools, urine specific gravity (USG) and a novel point-of-care (POC) salivary osmolarity (SOSM) sensor, in healthy children. Methods: Volunteers were tested by colorimetric USG and a handheld SOSM system. Observed values were compared against previous studies to determine hydration status, as was the concordance between parameters. Results: At the common USG threshold of 1.020, 42.4% o..