[Hypodermoclysis, an undervalued rehydration method in geriatrics].

The use of hypodermoclysis (hypo) as a method of rehydration in geriatrics has decreased in recent years. By interviewing the Dutch geriatricians (n = 41), the nursing home physicians in the district Arnhem-Nijmegen (N = 65) and the trainees for these disciplines (total number: 60), data were collected on the place of this method in clinical practice. A response of 72% was reached. A minority of the respondents (34%) uses hypo's. In a period of 1.5 years there was a mean prescription of 5.5 hypodermoclyses per physician. The acceptance by the patients was labeled as reasonably well or good. Lack of experience was one of the most important reasons for not using hypo's. Furthermore a retrospective investigation was carried out concerning the indications of hypodermoclysis and its usage in the psychogeriatric nursing home 'Joachim en Anna' (250 patients), where experience with this technique has accumulated. In 1993, 48 (19%) of their patients were given on average 5.1 liters of fluid in 3.6 days by means of hypodermoclysis. Only local edema was seen as complication in 9 cases. Case-histories illustrate possible indications of hypo's in the Dutch nursing home as well as in hospital. Finally, after a review of recent literature, we advocate a positive reappraisal of this rehydration method.