Bromide space determination using anion-exchange chromatography for measurement of bromide.

A high-pressure liquid chromatographic method for bromide measurement is used to determine extracellular water volume in humans. The method uses 5 microL serum ultrafiltrate and has a sensitivity of 7.5 pmol. Because of the extreme sensitivity of this method, relatively small quantities of Br can be administered and small amounts of blood are needed for the analysis. By this method, the mean corrected Br space in 82 healthy adults representing a wide range of body weights was 0.218 +/- .034 L/kg (mean +/- 1 SD) with a range of 0.153-0.295 L/kg, which is consistent with reported values. There was a significant, inverse relationship between corrected Br space per kilogram and obesity as measured by body mass index. The corrected Br space in six children aged 3-36 mo was 0.335-0.394 L/kg, which is also consistent with reported values in children of this age. This method for Br measurement can easily and readily be applied for the determination of extracellular water volume.