Moderate dehydration corresponds to which percent dehydration?

• A. 5-7%
• B. 8-10%
• C. >10%
• D. 2-4%

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that dehydration is graded by how much body weight has been lost to fluid deficit, which reflects the severity of symptoms you’d expect to see. Moderate dehydration sits in a middle range where signs are more noticeable than mild cases but not yet life-threatening.

In this framework, about 8–10% of body weight lost corresponds to moderate dehydration. At this level, you’d typically see more pronounced symptoms like a faster pulse, dry mucous membranes, reduced skin turgor, and more noticeable sunken eyes, but the person isn’t yet in shock or experiencing organ failure, which would point to severe dehydration.

Smaller ranges like 2–4% indicate mild dehydration, where symptoms are mild and often easily managed. A range greater than 10% is considered severe dehydration, with more serious instability and higher risk, requiring urgent care.