Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Risk Factors for Dehydration and the Development of a Predictive Scoring
Melvin Omone Ogbolu1, Olanrewaju D Eniade2,3, Miklos Kozlovszky4,5
1BioTech Research Center, University Research and Innovation Center, Óbuda University, Bécsi Street 96/B, 1034 Budapest, Hungary.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 28, 2025
Summary
Simple clinical signs like thirst and dry mouth can help identify dehydration risk. A new scoring tool shows promise for early assessment, but needs more research before clinical use.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Medicine
- Public Health
- Diagnostic Accuracy
Background:
- Dehydration is a common and serious health issue, especially for children and the elderly.
- Early detection and treatment are vital to prevent severe complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify clinical and demographic risk factors for dehydration.
- To develop and evaluate a risk stratification tool for dehydration.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of studies (2000-2024) from PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library.
- Risk of bias assessment using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Cochrane RoB tool.
- Development of a preliminary dehydration risk scoring tool based on pooled diagnostic metrics.
Main Results:
- Common signs (thirst, dry mouth, dark urine) showed pooled sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 70%.
- Positive predictive value (PPV) was 75%, and negative predictive value (NPV) was 80%.
- Pediatric data were robust; adult and elderly data were limited. A preliminary risk scoring system was proposed.
Conclusions:
- Clinical signs offer reasonable accuracy for dehydration risk identification.
- The proposed scoring system provides a framework for early risk assessment.
- Further validation in prospective studies is required before clinical implementation.
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