Insensible water loss in resting adults in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Sixty three adults (44 men) were observed over a 4 hour period in Kandy to measure insensible water loss. Six adult men were similarly studied over 24 hours. The average loss per day, computed from the 4 hour studies was 1,333 ml for men and 1,230 ml for women. The 24 hour study showed an average loss of 1,423 ml. A reasonable working estimate for insensible water loss for resting adults in Kandy would be about 1,000 to 1,200 ml per day. However, when renal excretion of water is impaired, it is safer to err on the side of mild dehydration than to attempt complete hydration.