Body fluid

Body fluids, often referred to as bodily fluids or biofluids, are liquids found within the human body. They play vital roles in maintaining physiological equilibrium, enabling essential bodily functions, and sustaining life.

Composition

For a lean, healthy adult male, body fluids constitute about 60-67% of the total body weight. The proportion tends to be slightly less in females. The fluid percentage in relation to body weight is inversely proportional to the body fat percentage. As an example, a lean man weighing 70 kg (160 pounds) possesses around 42-47 liters of water in his body.

Distribution

Body fluids are compartmentalized within two primary spaces:

• Intracellular Fluid (ICF) Compartment: Contains about 28-32 liters of water, representing the fluid inside cells.
• Extracellular Fluid (ECF) Compartment: Holds about 14-15 liters of water, representing the fluid outside the cells.

The ECF is further subdivided into:

• Interstitial Fluid Volume: Comprising roughly 12 liters, it represents the fluid outside both cells and blood vessels.
• Intravascular Volume: Holding around 4 liters, this encompasses the fluid within blood vessels. It splits into:
• Venous Volume: Fluid in the veins.
• Arterial Volume: Fluid in the arteries, inclusive of a conceptually relevant but unquantifiable subcompartment called the effective arterial blood volume.

The Interstitial fluid compartment further branches into:

• Lymphatic Fluid Compartment: Constituting about 6-10 liters or approximately 2/3 of the total volume.
• Transcellular Fluid Compartment: Holding the residual 1/3, approximately 4 liters.

Compartments by Location

• Intracellular fluid
• Extracellular fluid
• Intravascular fluid (blood plasma)
• Interstitial fluid
• Lymphatic fluid
• Transcellular fluid

Health Implications

In medical and health contexts, body fluids are often treated with caution due to their potential uncleanliness. They can act as vectors for various infectious ailments, spanning sexually transmitted infections to blood-borne diseases. As a precautionary measure, Universal precautions and Safer sex practices emphasize averting exchanges of body fluids to mitigate risks.

Clinical Samples

Clinical samples refer to non-infectious human or animal materials, which encompass blood, saliva, excreta, body tissue, and tissue fluids. They also include FDA-approved pharmaceuticals derived from blood. Such samples serve crucial roles in diagnostic examinations, evaluations, and disease or condition identification.

Sampling Methods

Various methodologies exist to obtain samples of body fluids, including:

• Blood Sampling: Can include:
• Arterial blood sampling: For instance, radial artery puncture.
• Venous blood sampling or venipuncture.
• Lumbar puncture: Extracts cerebrospinal fluid.
• Paracentesis: Procures peritoneal fluid.
• Thoracocentesis: Gathers pleural fluid.
• Amniocentesis: Takes amniotic fluid.

See Also

• Blood-borne diseases
• Clinical pathology
• Fluid bonding
• Humorism
• Hygiene
• Ritual cleanliness

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