[Changes in water-electrolyte balance after orthograde intestinal irrigation]

Metabolic acidosis and hypopotassemia after whole gut irrigation (WGI) with 0.9% sodium chloride are probably caused by the following effects: 1. Sodium, chloride and fluid resorption with following renal compensatory mechanisms and inhibition of the ADH incretion and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone System--2. Washing-out effect of the intestinal mucosa with loss of potassium-rich intestinal juice and protein. At the beginning of anaesthesia, 20 h after WGI, compensatory mechanisms did not reach a reconstitution of the balanced initial situation. Therefore, patients whose state is critical should be monitored carefully during WGI. Further investigations will develop an indifferent irrigation fluid to avoid serious complications of massive water resorption during WGI.