Skin turgor

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Skin turgor

Overview

Treatment

Skin turgor

Alternative Names:

Doughy skin; Poor skin turgor; Good skin turgor; Decreased skin turgor
Home Care:

A quick check of skin turgor by pinching the skin over the back of the hand, on the abdomen, or over the front of the chest under the collarbone is a good way to check for dehydration at home.

Mild dehydration will cause the skin to be slightly slow in its return to normal. To rehydrate, drink more fluids -- particularly water.

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If turgor is severe, indicating moderate or severe dehydration, see your health care provider immediately!

Call your health care provider if:

poor skin turgor accompanies vomiting, diarrhea, or fever.
a check of skin turgor results in very slow return to normal, or the skin "tents" up. This can indicate dehydration that is severe enough to require immediate treatment.
a person with reduced skin turgor is unable to increase his or her intake of fluids (for example, because of vomiting).

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

A general physical examination and health history will be performed.

Medical history questions documenting skin turgor in detail may include:

How long has this been present?
What other symptoms preceded the change in skin turgor (vomiting, diarrhea, others)?
What have you done to try to treat the condition?
- Did it make it better?
- Is it getting worse?
What other symptoms are also present (such as dry lips, decreased urine output, and decreased tearing)?

Diagnostic tests that may be performed are:

blood chemistry (such as a chem-20)
urinalysis
cbc

INTERVENTIONS:

Intravenous fluids may be necessary for severe dehydration. Medications may be necessary to treat other conditions that affect the skin turgor and elasticity.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).