19 The maintenance need for water and electrolytes in parenteral fluid therapy in marasmic infants dehydrated by diarrhea

Top of pageAbstract Water and electrolyte balances in 7 marasmic infants during the first 6 days of treatment for diarrheal dehydration, were studied. The fluid therapy IV was started with 100 ml/kg of half isotonic saline in 2, 5% glucose, administered at 20 ml/kg/h. There after the maintenance solution for 100 cal/day was: water - 100 ml, Na - 3 mEq and K - 7,5 mEq. The average solute load of 18 mOsm/100 cal/day was excreted at a concentration of 473 mOsm/1., in 38ml of obligatory water. An average of 65 ml/100 cal/day of insensible water loss was obtained. From these, the average figure for total loss of water is 103 ml/100 cal/day. The water of oxidation will provide nearly 10 ml, obtained from metabolism of proteins, fat and car-bohidrates. The balance, 93 ml/100 cal/day must be provided parenterally. The maintenance need for Na and K was respectively 3, 0 and 2, 5 mEq/100 cal/day.