Should dehydration be given as the cause of death on the death certificate of a terminally ill patient who was dehydrated before he died?
Although dehydration may have occurred in a terminally ill patient, the death certificate should not give dehydration as the cause of death but should identify the precipitating illness or underlying condition that resulted in the patient’s death. • Do federal regulations require long-term care facilities to maintain adequate hydration for all residents in a long-term care facility? Federal regulations require long-term care facilities to maintain adequate hydration for all residents except in select circumstances such the following: a disease process (e.g., terminal cancer) interferes with adequate nutrition and hydration; a new disease process superimposed on preexisting conditions causes malnutrition and dehydration; and the patient refuse food and water. • How do most fluid/electrolyte imbalances present initially in the elderly? In the elderly, most fluid/electrolyte imbalances present initially with nonspecific symptoms such as lethargy, confusion, or a decline in function that m