Blood zinc in the spinal patient.

A rapid microspectrophotometric method was used to measure zinc concentrations in plasma and erythrocytes. A circadian variation in plasma zinc related to the ingestion of food was observed. Fasting plasma zinc concentrations were low in 20 out of 23 paraplegic patients with pressure sores, indicating that oral zinc supplementation may be expected to accelerate healing in such patients. Erythrocyte zinc levels did not differ between different groups of subjects and exhibited no circadian rhythm.