[Glucose and K+ balance during high-dosage intravenous glucose infusion]

Intravenous infusion of glucose in high dosage was given to 42 tumor patients, attaining a hyperglycemia of about 40 mg/100 ml over a period of 24 hours. This hyperglycemia is a part of the so-called "cancer-multistep-therapie". During the period of glucose-infusion a water-turnover of about 6,000 ml can be registered which is connected with a requirement of glucose of about 2,000 g. Only 1/3 of this amount is loosing by renal excretion, but 2/3 are metabolised to correspond with a glucose-uptake of 0,94 g and a glucosuria of 0,32 g per kg bodyweight and hour. Requirement of glucose and glucose uptake are in inverse proportion to the age of the patients and to the duration of hyperglycemia. Further a "glucose-potassium-equivalent" existed: about 10 mval potassium per 100 g infused glucose, whereas the netto uptake of potassium is 0,049 mval per g of metabolised glucose. Acid-base-equilibrium and red blood-picture did not show any relevant variations while typical deviations of some other parameters (cardiac-frequency, body-temperature), white blood-picture) are can be associated with the so-called "general adaptation syndrom". The findings are discussed in view of their general importance for the parenteral application of glucose.