Richard D. Eckhardt

THE EFFECT OF HUMAN SERUM ALBUMIN, MERCURIAL DIURETICS, AND A LOW SODIUM DIET ON SODIUM EXCRETION IN PATIENTS WITH CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER.

The relative importance of the serum albumin concentration, portal hypertension, and antidiuretic substances in the formation of ascites and edema in patients with cirrhosis of the liver has not been clarified. There is evidence, however, that each of these factors is important (1-3). In an effort to eliminate the factor of hypoalbuminemia, salt-poor concentrated human serum albumin has been given intravenously. Although the serum albumin concentration may by this means be raised to normal, the edema and ascites have not been consistently relieved (4-7). Moreover, improvement in ascites and edema is observed in some instances with mercurial diuretics or simply by furnishing a nutritious diet alone (8, 9). In an attempt to find an abnormality common to these patients and consistently altered by the apparently unrelated therapeutic agents, the studies of sodium excretion and balance reported here were undertaken.

Effect on Urinary Nitrogen Excretion of Rate of Administration of Solution of Amino Acids in Man

Summary 1. Seven subjects (including normal individuals and patients) were given daily intravenous infusions of a 10% solution of amino acids at widely varying rates of infusion. 2. There was no correlation between the daily non-protein nitrogen excretion and the rate of infusion. Very rapid rates of infusion did not increase the nitrogen excretion and thus did not reduce the biological value of the amino acid solution.