BIOIMPEDANCE MEASUREMENT OF BODY-WATER CORRELATES WITH MEASURED VOLUME BALANCE IN INJURED PATIENTS

Bioimpedance technology is being used increasingly to determine drug v olume of distribution, body water status, and nutrition repletion. Its accuracy in patients experiencing large volume flux is not establishe d. To address this, we undertook this prospective study in 54 consecut ive seriously injured adults who had emergency celiotomy soon after ar rival in the emergency department. Bioimpedance measurements were obta ined in the emergency department before the patient was transported to the operating room, on completion of celiotomy, and 24 hours and 48 h ours after celiotomy. Bioimpedance measurements of body water were com pared with measured fluid balance. If insensible losses are subtracted from measured fluid balance, the percentage of body weight, which is body water determined by bioimpedance, closely follows fluid flux. Thi s study supports the use of bioimpedance measurements in determining t otal body water even during periods of surgery, blood loss, and vigoro us resuscitation.