Sweat Electrolytes in Chronic Pulmonary Disease

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Abstract
Sweat electrolyte concentrations are frequently reported without regard for the physical factors which influence the concentrations. The present study was designed to standardize the conditions of collecting the sweat. Two groups of men were studied, a control group of hospital patients, and a test group of patients with chronic lung disease. The subjects were exposed to a standardized thermal stimulus and sweat was collected from the forehead, chest, abdomen and palm. Sweat was collected for six 20 minute periods. Both the rate of sweating and the chloride and sodium concentrations increased logarithmically throughout the period of collection. When the sweat volume collected from the two groups was compared, it was found that the rate of sweating was higher on the forehead than on the abdomen or chest and all three rates were much higher than on the palm. The chloride concentration of the sweat collected from the abdomen, forehead, and chest was significantly higher in the test group of chronic pulmonary disease than in the control group.