Total body water,extracellular water,plasma volume,and total body potassium in cirrhosis of the liver

Summary Extracellular water (EWC; 82-bromide), total body water (TBW; 3-THO), intracellular water (ICW=TBW-ECW), plasma volume (PV; 51-Cr), and total body potassium (TBK; 40-K) were studied in patients with cirrhosis of the liver (n=12) and in controls (n=12). ECW (39%), TBW (28%), ICW (19%), and PV (24%) increased, TBK (28%) however, decreased in cirrhosis. The results indicate that it is less the lean body mass, but rather the intracellular potassium concentration that is lowered (cirrhosis: 84±21 mmol/l ICW; controls: 115±23 mmol/l ICW). Decreased potassium per cell (mmol) and increased intracellular water are discussed as possible reasons for this. The correlation between TBK (%) and serum potassium (mmol/l) was found to ber=0.56 (p<0.002). Correlations between the biochemical parameters gamma-globulins, cholin esterase, serum sodium and serum albumin (g/l PV) and characteristic fluid disturbances in cirrhosis are highly significant whereas albumin (g/kg bodyweight) was the same in both groups. We can support the overflow theory of ascites formation [19].This paper is part of a medical doctorate of O. Schober