DOI: 10.36347/sasjm.2015.v01i03.005

Pages: Page: 86-92

Leaking blood vessels is common to many disease conditions like dengue hemorrhagic fever, septicemia, eclampsia and nephrotic syndrome. Leaking blood vessels is the primary pathology in dengue hemorrhagic fever. Clinical evidence of leaking blood vessels includes body swelling, effusions, circulatory failure or rising hematocrit. However, these indicators are late indicators and signify only the result of leaking. This article presents the process of developing a formula to calculate the ongoing rate of fluid leak from a patient by using clinical parameters such as urine output, fluid intake and changes of the hematocrit (HCT). The formula to predict rate of fluid leak from blood vessels was developed on the basis that “the change of hematocrit over a defined period of time is the result of fluid intake, urine output, insensible loss, fluid leaking out of blood vessels and the fluid utilized for growth and metabolism”. Out of these parameters fluid intake, urine output and changes in hematocrit could be measured. Other parameters like fluid for growth and metabolism and fluid that leak out cannot be measured. Therefore they are collectively termed as unaccountable fluid. Net rate of fluid leaking from blood vessels should be zero in health. Any amount of fluid leak should reflect pathology while the trends changing rate of fluid should reflect disease progress and severity. Therefore rate of fluid leak should help to assess efficacy of novel therapeutic interventions.