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GASTROINTESTINAL LAVAGE REDUCES TOTAL BODY WATER
Author(s) -
Buckland Garry H.,
Elbourne Ian,
Crowe Philip J.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.111
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 0004-8682
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1997.tb01916.x
Subject(s) - medicine , bioelectrical impedance analysis , body water , prospective cohort study , gastric lavage , gastroenterology , surgery , anesthesia , body weight , body mass index
Background : The aim of this study was to measure changes in total body water (TBW) in surgical patients after gastrointestinal lavage. Methods : In a prospective, controlled study we used bioelectrical impedance to calculate the change in TBW in two groups of general surgical patients in the pre‐operative period: the colonic lavage group consisted of patients fasted overnight who received 3 L of gastrointestinal lavage solution (GLS; n = 30), and the control group consisted of patients fasted overnight only ( n = 30). Total body water was measured before and after either lavage and fasting (lavage group) or fasting alone (control group). Results : The lavage group had a mean TBW loss of 729 mL ± s.e. 217 and the control group a mean loss of 84 mL ± s.e. 93 ( P < 0.01 unpaired t ‐est). Conclusions : The results suggest that GLS results in a net loss of TBW. Although this fluid loss is modest, it may be important in surgical patients who have minimal cardiovascular reserve.