What do you do when you find somoene in the desert. He is collapsed and dehydrated. Do you give him as much water as he wants, or do you ration the water input : a little bit every few minutes.

Or is it better to give him some juice rather than water

Who do experts say ???

I was taught to give little by little, as giving a large amount of water to a severally dehydrated person will cause stomach cramps and cause people to throw up.

Would not give juice due to the high acidity of most juices, which again can cause issues with the stomach when severally dehydrated.

Hi,
See Rehydration Therapy
if hes concious and can sit up, small sips, 100 ml every 5 minutes (1 liter an hour)...

In dealing with victims suffering from dehydration, we usually gave them access to a canteen and let them drink at their own pace. In the usual desert scene, dehydration, plus other injuries, was common. If one did a careful survey, probably a good percentage of the rescuers were dehydrated to some degree as well.

Personal experience - On one occasion we were investigating an archaeological site that was reached only by fairly involved technical climbing. We stayed overnight, descending later in the morning. A companion, realizing we would be thirsty, climbed partway up the route with canteens.

He handed me a full quart, which I drained without pause. I put it down and was still thirsty.

You want to supplement the water with ORS, salty crackers, dilute Gatorade, etc. in moderation. In extreme states, especially if the victim may be facing surgery, establish an IV line.

BTW, you don't have to be in a desert to experience severe dehydration.

If it is a hot desert, the patient is likely to be both hyperthermic and dehydrated, and both require treatment.

Oral Rehydration Salts, either commercial or homemade using the WHO formula, is the ideal fluid for oral rehydration. Water is of course okay, too. Personally, I'd let the patient drink up to a liter initially at their own pace, followed by an additional liter per hour as needed. Plain water should be followed by small amounts of food whenever the patient can tolerate eating, mostly for the minerals like sodium. A little *heavily diluted* sports drink or fruit juice can accomplish much the same thing.

But these patients really don't need to be loaded up with sodium, potassium and other electrolytes; they are called "trace" minerals for a reason. Too much fluid too rapidly also will cause vomiting, which would only make things worse. Alcohol, soda, coffee and tea are diuretics and will also worsen dehydration. It should go without saying that these patients also require a medical follow-up ASAP, even if they appear fully recovered. Acute dehydration can lead to organ damage or failure, notably in the kidneys, and a host of other medical consequences.

For hyperthermia, cool the patient as rapidly as possible, as long as you don't cool them too much into hypothermia.

The converse is not true for severe hypothermia.

Don't over do it. There are cases on record where hikers (I recall one instance in Grand Canyon, especially) have over hydrated themselves. That evidently is not a fun condition, either.

Thanks everyone