[Renal function in normal and malnourished children given different doses of vasopressin in continuous infusion].

The effects of vasopressin administered by continuous infusion (0.75 and 0.5 mU/m2/minutes) was studied in two groups of three normal and two groups of 5 and 8 malnourished children given 0.5 and 0.3 mU/m2/minute. The following parameters were analyzed: urine volume, osmolality, water reabsorption, PAH, urea and inulin clearances, Na and K urinary excretion. Malnourished children had a urine volume 3 to 5 times higher than the normal groups. Vasopressin increased urine volume initially, but a mild antidiuretic effect followed in the normal groups. In malnourished children with a high CH2O, antidiuresis showed quite important figures with vasopressin. A transient fall in PAH and inulin clearances was observed with vasopressin in both malnourished groups with a mild drop in the normal group. Natriuresis with a higher % of the filtered sodium excretion was observed in the malnourished groups and in normal children with 0.5 mU of vasopressin. These results show that vasopressin had similar effects, but at a different level in the normal and malnourished children that we studied.