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Condition

Dehydration

Updated:

Pale patient with sunken eyes — IV Drops (IV Bag) is the cure. Hydration category per Fandom.

Overview

Dehydration is the patient-side hydration condition. Per Fandom's Treatment Item Table, Dehydration is categorised under Hydration alongside Dried Eyes — both share the fluid-replacement treatment theme. The treatment item is IV Drops (AH slug: iv-bag), which requires the IV setup workflow per /wiki/items/iv-bag — longer to administer than most single-use cabinet treatments.

IV Drops have a documented secondary use: per Fandom, they're one of three Death Ritual cancel options alongside Coffee and Eyedrops. This makes IV Drops a high-utility item to stock even on shifts without confirmed Dehydration patients — emergencies use the same inventory slot.

Video Guide

Diagnosis demo video coming soon.

Visual Symptoms & Cues

  • Patient appears pale, sunken-eye visual cue
  • Text bubble dialogue references thirst
  • Dry skin texture overlay on the patient model
  • Distinct from Low Sugar (which has dizzy/weak presentation rather than dry-skin)

Easy vs Tricky Diagnoses

Pros

  • ✓ Sunken-eye visual is distinctive — easy to spot
  • ✓ Thirst dialogue confirms diagnosis quickly
  • ✓ Pale colour shift on the patient model

Cons

  • ✗ Can be confused with Low Sugar (both have pale presentation)
  • ✗ Requires IV setup time — slower than cabinet-only treatments
  • ✗ Wrong items fail to progress the cure AND consume the time budget

At a Glance

At a Glance

Cure
IV Drops
Difficulty
easy
First appears
Shift 1

How to Diagnose and Treat

Diagnose first via the visual cue — pale patient with sunken eyes, often complaining about thirst in dialogue. Compare against Low Sugar (which also has pale/weak presentation but lacks the sunken-eye specific cue and the dry-skin texture).

Once confirmed, pull IV Bag from Supply Room shelf B (cost 5 per AH documentation). The IV Bag setup is longer than most single-use cabinet treatments per /wiki/items/iv-bag: requires IV stand at the patient location + multi-step administration. Plan around the time cost — don't pull IV Bag mid-emergency when faster alternatives are available for other conditions.

Do not substitute. Per Fandom, wrong treatment on a non-anomaly patient causes rapid health decline leading to 'Patient Expired' screen — patient dies, costs 1 of 3 lives.

Secondary use note: IV Drops are one of three Death Ritual cancel options. If a Death Ritual fires while you're already carrying IV Bag for a Dehydration patient, the IV Bag can be used to cancel the ritual (see /wiki/events/death-ritual for the full cancel workflow). This dual-purpose loadout is useful on shifts where both events are likely.

Patch History

No documented balance changes to the Dehydration condition. The associated treatment item (IV Bag) is documented with 'uncertain' confidence in AH content — the rehydration mechanic is verified via Fandom cross-reference but specific timing details aren't fully cross-source-confirmed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What treats Dehydration?
IV Drops (IV Bag) — Hydration category per Fandom. See /wiki/items/iv-bag for the full administration workflow.
How do I tell Dehydration from Low Sugar?
Both have pale presentation, but Dehydration has the sunken-eye specific cue + dry skin texture + thirst dialogue. Low Sugar has dizzy/weak/shaky presentation with dialogue about dizziness rather than thirst.
Why does IV Bag take longer than other treatments?
IV setup requires an IV stand at the patient's location plus multi-step administration per /wiki/items/iv-bag. Most cabinet items resolve on instant application; IV Bag has the multi-step workflow.
Can I use IV Drops for other things?
Yes — one of three Death Ritual cancel options (alongside Coffee and Eyedrops). If you're already carrying IV Bag for Dehydration, it can also cancel a Death Ritual mid-shift.
What happens if I use the wrong treatment on Dehydration?
Per Fandom: patient health rapidly declines leading to 'Patient Expired' screen. Patient dies, costs 1 of 3 lives. Diagnostic accuracy matters.
When do Dehydration patients first appear?
Shift 1 onwards. Dehydration is in the default condition pool from the opening shift.
What category does Fandom put Dehydration in?
Hydration category, alongside Dried Eyes (treated by Eyedrops). The category groups conditions by treatment-mechanism.

The only "easy-tier" condition with a fatal misdiagnosis cost

Most easy-tier conditions fail silently when treated wrong — the item doesn't apply, the patient stays in the same state. Dehydration is documented as the exception: applying the wrong treatment causes rapid health decline leading to "Patient Expired".

The implication: Dehydration is the one easy-tier diagnosis where guessing-and-trying is dangerous. Open the symptom panel first, confirm the diagnosis (pale, sunken eyes, thirst dialogue), then apply IV Bag.

Why this is uniquely punishing

For Bandages-on-Bruises or Cough-Syrup-on-Headache misapplications, the cost is wasted time. For wrong treatment on Dehydration, the cost is the patient. There's no salvage — once the rapid-decline state triggers, the patient dies.

The full workflow:

  1. Move patient to the IV room.
  2. Select IV Bag from inventory.
  3. Attach to the IV stand.
  4. Monitor until fluid level normalises.

The multi-step process (vs the single-action items for most easy conditions) reflects the higher stakes.

Sources: in-game documentation, Sportskeeda items guide.