This monograph deals with the principles and current concepts of renal physiology and electrolyte metabolism. The initial chapter is devoted to a survey of cardiac, pulmonary, and renal function, including electrolyte metabolism, together with body composition. Subsequent chapters discuss (1) sodium depletion and dehydration, (2) acidosis, (3) hypokalemia and alkalosis, (4) the edematous state, (5) impaired renal function and uremia, and (6) calcium and magnesium. The final chapter reviews some selected clinical topics.
It has always seemed to this reviewer that monographs dealing with fluid balance and electrolyte metabolism suffer commonly from being either too detailed or too perfunctory. This book attempts to weave an in-between approach to the subject matter. The material is well articulated but does suffer from attempt to present the clinical approach in a "digest" form. Accordingly, the chapter on sodium depletion fails to detail the application of hypertonic saline solutions; the chapter on acidosis devotes