The measurement of whole body water by H2 18O dilution in newborn pigs

Whole body water was measured in newborn piglets by isotope dilution with H2(18)O. The results were compared with those obtained by direct analysis of whole body water made by freeze-drying. When the tracer dose of H2(18)O was given to 30 piglets by intragastric gavage, post-equilibration values measured in urine were highly variable (average equilibration error equalled 9%) and the random error of the technique in predicting body water was …