Summary
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1.
Serum electrolyte estimations were performed in twenty-two severely malnourished, oedematous children belonging to the two clinical entities, nutritional oedema and kwashiorkor.
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2.
Similar investigations were carried out in twenty normal healthy children in order to standardise the technical procedures.
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3.
Majority of the cases revealed low normal to normal values of sodium and chloride (63 and 72 per cent respectively), normal to high normal values of alkali reserve) fifty per cent (and hypokalaemia) sixty-three per cent).
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4.
Serum ionogram was repeated in eleven children at the end of an average period of three weeks during which the subjects were placed on routine dietetic and high protein therapy. These ionograms showed a distinct tendency towards reversion to normal.
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5.
The significance of these observations is discussed.
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From the Department of Pediatrics, M.G.M. Medical College, Indore. Based on the thesis “A study of serum electrolytes in severe chronic malnutrition in children” for M.D. (Pediatrics), Vikram University, 1959.
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Kaul, K.K. Serum ionogram in third degree malnutrition I—Oedematous malnutrition. Indian J Pediatr 27, 1–8 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02750831
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02750831