PEDIATRICS Vol. 36 No. 1 July 1965, pp. 94-103
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BODY WATER COMPOSITION IN KWASHIORKOR BEFORE AND AFTER LOSS OF EDEMA

Gail Lynn Brinkman Ph.D.1, Malcolm David Bowie M.B., M.R.C.P.1, Bent Friis-Hansen M.D.1, and John Derek Lindsell Hansen M.D., M.R.C.P.1

1 Departments of Medicine and Child Health, University of Cape Town, and the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

1. Total body water (TBW) estimated by tritium and extracellular water (ECW) estimated by sodium thiosulfate has been measured in 19 cases of kwashiorkor before and immediately after loss of edema.

2. The TBW as a percentage of body weight was increased but changed relatively little as edema was lost (70%-69%).

3. The ECW (thiosulfate space) showed a significant decrease with loss of edema (33%-26%).

4. The intracellular water (TBW-ECW) increased markedly (37%-43%).

5. These results suggest that the edema of kwashiorkor is a phenomenon of mal-distribution of the excess body water between the body compartments and not only an excess accumulation of body water per se.

Submitted on September 22, 1964
Accepted on February 3, 1965