Is dehydration a serious health issue?
Dehydration is one of the ten most common causes for hospitalization among Medicare patients. In 1991, 6.7% (731,695) of Medicare hospitalizations had dehydration listed as a principal diagnosis, costing Medicare more than $446 million in hospital payments. Most importantly, the study revealed that about half of the people over age 65 who were hospitalized with illnesses accompanied by dehydration die within one year of admission.
