ELECTROLYTE CONCENTRATIONS IN SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUE FLUID AND LYMPH

G Szabo, Z Magyar

Abstract


The electrolyte concentrations of subcatenous lymph
and tissue fluid collected with the wick techn ique
were compared with those of blood serum. The Na+
and K+ concentrations were found to be higher in
tissue fluid and lymph than in serum, Cl - concentration
was lower in lymph, but in tissue fluid it was
about equal to the concentration in blood serum.
These relationships do not correspond to the GibbsDonnan
equilibrium. On the basis of electrolyte
concentrations and the equilibration of intravenously
injected 131 1 albumin it is concluded that the
analysis of reg ional lymph gives reliable information
about the steady state concentration of electrolytes
and small molecules in the interstitial fluid. Acute
changes, espec ially those of macromolecule concentration
in tissue fluid can be more readily followed
by the analysis of the fluid obtained by the wick
technique.


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