RENAL CHANGES FOLLOWING ADMINISTRATION OF HYPERTONIC SOLUTIONS (50 PER CENT SUCROSE, 50 PER CENT D-SORBITOL,* 50 PER CENT DEXTROSE AND 10 PER CENT SODIUM CHLORIDE)

Abstract

Because of the widespread use of hypertonic solutions for intravenous administration in modern clinical practice we became interested in the question whether renal damage resulted from the employment of such solutions and, if so, what the nature and extent of this damage might be. In recent years the intravenous administration of hypertonic solutions of dextrose has become increasingly popular. Lately 50 per cent sucrose has gained wide vogue in the treatment of cerebral edema, glaucoma and retention of fluid resulting from a variety of causes. 1 This material has been rapidly replacing the older dextrose solution for this type of therapy. Helmholz 2 reported on a series of experiments on rabbits given single and multiple injections of 50 per cent solution of sucrose at various intervals and pathologic studies of the kidneys made at intervals of one to seven days after the final injection of the material. Included in his