Plasma and extracellular volume in calves: comparison between isotopic and 'cold' techniques. |
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Authors: | A J Wagstaff I Maclean A R Michell P H Holmes |
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Institution: | Department of Large Animal Medicine and Surgery, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Hertfordshire. |
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Abstract: | While isotopic techniques have largely superseded traditional markers for the determination of the volume of fluid compartments in vivo, they are not always convenient, especially with diarrhoeic animals. A direct comparison was therefore made in week-old calves between Evans blue and radio-iodinated serum albumin as measures of plasma volume and thiocyanate or 24sodium as measures of extracellular fluid space. The correlation coefficients were excellent (1.00, 0.96; P < 0.001) and the calves had plasma and extracellular fluid volumes of 72 +/- 2 and 438 +/- 2 ml kg-1, respectively. The latter value is, though high, typical of young animals and comparable with other data in calves. |
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