URINARY CHLORIDE EXCRETION DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN RENAL AND EXTRARENALMETABOLIC ALKALOSIS

The aetiology of normotensive hypokalaemic metabolic alkalosis is some times not obtainable from the history. Observations in adults indicate that the urinary chloride excretion is low in metabolic alkalosis of extrarenal origin. The chloride/creatinine ratio in random urines was therefore compared in 283 healthy children and in eight paediatric pat ients with metabolic alkalosis. The urinary chloride/creatinine ratio was reduced in four patients with metabolic alkalosis of extrarenal or igin and within reference values or above in four patients with metabo lic alkalosis of renal origin.