Abstract
Normal values of total body potassium are established by measuring 441 healthy children, expressing the results according to an obesity index (O.I. = W/10. H3, where W = weight in kg and H = height in m) and classifying the children according to sex and age. While after puberty boys increase their K/kg and keep their O.I. constant, girls' O.I. goes up, but their K/kg remains unchanged. Total potassium reflects the cellular mass and allows an objective evaluation of muscle waster in progressive muscular dystrophy. The calculation of the lean body mass and, by deduction, of the total fat shows extreme values of practically no fat in anorexia mentails and 750 g/kg in obesstas permagnia. Total body water has been determined simultaneously in 62 children, and their lean body mass calculated and compared to the values obtained from K determination; the correlation between the two methods is satisfactory. Daily measurements of total body pottassium and simultaneous potassium balance studies for 8 days in case of newly diagnosed diabetes also correlated well.
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Donath, A., Poretti, G. & Zuppinger, A. 17. Total body potassium, lean body mass and fat determination in children by 40K measurements with a liquid scintillation whole body counter. Pediatr Res 5, 86 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197102000-00022
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197102000-00022