The Secretion of Urine by Dehydrated and Normal Infants

Abstract

The subject of gastroenteritis and its attendant dehydration and salt deficiency has absorbed the interest and attention of all those who have been responsible for the care of infants. The serum chemistry of babies with diarrhoea and vomiting has been carefully investigated, and a few authors have examined the urine and carried out renal function tests.High blood ureas have been found in untreated cases (Schloss, 1918; Bessau, Rosenbaum and Leichtentritt, 1922;Cohen, Miller and Kramer, 1933), and Schloss considered that haemoconcentration was not enough to account for this finding. By means of the phenolsulphonphthalein test and Ambard's coefficient of urea excretion he showed that the function of the kidney was impaired in a group of infants recovering from gastroenteritis. Schoenthal, Lurie and Kelly (1933) came to the same conclusion after examining the urea clearances of a few babies who were dehydrated. The controls in both these investigations were normal infants whose urine volumes were usually much higher than those of the sick infants.

Alterations of Fluid and Electrolyte Distribution and Renal Function in Diarrhea of Infancy 1

“…Indeed, a normal infant may retain saline given subcutaneously for as long as five days (39). Furthermore, renal function and the rate of salt excretion is reduced during the stage of hydropenia and electrolyte deficiency (40,41). Increased adrenal cortical activity with a resultant decrease of sodium and chloride excretion may be expected under stress of infection, fever, dehydration, and trauma subsequent to admission (42).…”

Hyposthenuria in Sickle Cell Anemia: A Reversible Renal Defect

“…Quiet standing, which resulted in syncope, and prolonged dehydration, which increased osmolality of plasma by 10 per cent, failed in each instance to alter the ability of the kidney to concentrate urine in two sickle cell anemia patients. Dehydration and quiet standing are frequently accompanied by a reduction in the GFR (15,16).…”