Water-deficit equation: systematic analysis and improvement.
BACKGROUND: The water-deficit equation {WD(1) = 0.6 — B(m) — [1 - (140 · Na(+))]; B(m) denotes body mass} is used in medicine and nutrition to estimate the volume (L) of water required to correct dehydration during the initial stages of fluid-replacement therapy. Several equation assumptions may limit its accuracy, but none have been systematically [...]