BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Abnormal physiological parameters after acute stroke may induce early neurological deterioration. Studies of the effect of dehydration on stroke outcome are limited. We examined the association of raisedplasma osmolality on stroke outcome at 3 months and the change of plasma osmolality with hydration during the first weekafter stroke. METHODS: Acute stroke patients had their plasma osmolality measured at admission and at days 1, 3, [...]

In order to test the hypothesis that urine colour can be used as an index of hydration in critically ill patients, we selected 40 intensive care and high-dependency patients and correlated urine colour (scored on an eight-point scale) with various indices of hydration: urine:plasma sodium, osmolality and urea ratios, urine output and central venous pressure. In addition, we compared the colour-chart score with scores made by intensive care nurses (without the benefit of a colour chart) in [...]

It is difficult to describe hydration status and hydration extremes because fluid intakes and excretion patterns of free-living individuals are poorly documented and regulation of human water balance is complex and dynamic. This investigation provided reference values for euhydration (i.e., body mass, daily fluid intake, serum osmolality; M +/- SD); it also compared urinary indices [...]