Recovering urine from diapers: are test results accurate?
Abstract not available
Water: a neglected nutrient in the young child? A South African perspective
Water is considered an essential nutrient because the body cannot produce enough water itself, by metabolism of food, to fulfil its need. When the quantity or quality of water is inadequate, health problems result, most notably dehydration and diarrhoea. As a result of contaminated water and poor hygiene, related infections are still a serious problem. Indeed, in theSouth African setting water availability and sanitation are critical issues because [...]
Fluid balance in elderly patients following stroke.
We studied the relationship between plasma osmolality, arginine vasopressin (AVP), and fluid input in patients during the acute phase of a first stroke. Fifteen consecutive patients were studied (median age 79) and their blood sampled on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 7 and 14. Plasma osmolality was related to fluid input over days 0-3 (p = 0.0013) and AVP over 14 days (p less [...]
Diarrhoea in the critically ill
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to update the knowledge on diarrhoea, a common problem in critically ill patients. Epidemiological data will be discussed, with special emphasis on diarrhoea in tube-fed patients and during antibiotic therapy. The possible preventive and therapeutic measures will be presented. RECENT FINDINGS: The need for concise definitions of diarrhoea was recently re-emphasized. The use [...]
Comparison of 3 methods to assess urine specific gravity in collegiate wrestlers.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the reliability and validity of refractometry, hydrometry, and reagent strips in assessing urine specific gravity in collegiate wrestlers. DESIGN AND SETTING: We assessed the reliability of refractometry, hydrometry, and reagent strips between 2 trials and among 4 testers. The validity of hydrometry and reagent strips was assessed by comparison with refractometry, the [...]
Comparison between normal saline and a polyelectrolyte solution for fluid resuscitation in severely dehydrated infants with acute diarrhoea
The optimal intravenous solution for rehydration of infants and children with severe dehydration is debated. AIM: The aim was to compare the efficacy of a polyelectrolyte solution (group PS) with sodium chloride 0.9% solution (group NS) in rapid parenteral rehydration of severely dehydrated infants with acute diarrhoea. METHODS: Primary outcomes were volume and time to hydration. Secondary outcomes were urea, creatinine, electrolytes, glucose, arterial pH and bicarbonate levels. Patients were [...]
Urine test strips: how reproducible are readings?
In an experiment, multiple reagent test strips from 90 urine samples were examined twice: observed visually by one of two persons and analyzed by spectrophotometry. Interobserver and intra-observer agreement were calculated and expressed as Cohen's K. Interobserver and intra-observer agreement were moderate to good, but lower than one might expect. Enhancing discoloration of the test pads could improve reproducibility. FULL-TEXT AVAILABRLE IN [...]
Dipstick measurements of urine specific gravity are unreliable.
AIM:To evaluate the reliability of dipstick measurements of urine specific gravity (U-SG). METHODS: Fresh urine specimens were tested for urine pH and osmolality (U-pH, U-Osm) by a pH meter and an osmometer, and for U-SG by three different methods (refractometry, automatic readout of a dipstick (Clinitek-50), and (visual) change of colour of the dipstick). RESULTS: The correlations between the visual U-SG dipstick measurements and U-SG determined by a refractometer and the comparison [...]
Clinical and physical signs for identification of impending and current water-loss dehydration in older people
This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of state, minimally invasive clinical and physical signs (or sets of signs) to be used as screening tests for detecting impending or current water-loss dehydration, or both, in older people by systematically reviewing [...]
Assessing hydration status.
PURPOSE:Understanding the importance of euhydration in humans in order to ensure good health in various situations, the purpose of this review is to examine the available techniques in assessing hydration status. RECENT FINDINGS: During the past 20 years, many indices have been developed to assess hydration levels accurately in humans. Changes in body weight, haematological and urine parameters, bioelectrical impedance, [...]