Abstract
Disorders of the volume and composition of body fluids are common in the elderly and are often life-threatening. In part, these disorders are frequent and severe because the elderly are susceptible to illnesses which directly alter body water volume and composition, and in part because of their impaired ability to defend against and correct these alterations. For example, sodium and water losses due to gastrointestinal disturbances are common in them, but the normal defence mechanisms against salt and water deficiency - renal conservation of salt and water, and thirst - become progressively less efficient with age. This chapter will discuss the common fluid-electrolyte disorders in the elderly, emphasizing reasons for their susceptibility and the ways age impairs the normal defence mechanisms.
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