TY  - JOUR
T1  - THe myth of the low anion gap
AU  - Goldstein RJ, Lichtenstein NS, Souder D
Y1  - 1980/05/02
N1  - 10.1001/jama.1980.03300430039020
JO  - JAMA
SP  - 1737
EP  - 1738
VL  - 243
IS  - 17
N2  - Sixty-seven thousand seven hundred forty consecutive sets of electrolyte levels measured at the Massachusetts General Hospital were reviewed, and their anion gaps were calculated. A low anion gap (less than 8 mEq/L) was found in 304 patients (0.8%). Repeatedly low anion gaps were found in only 19 patients. Eight patients were hypoalbuminemic, and eight were hyponatremic. For the entire population, there was a positive correlation between sodium concentration and anion gap. The average anion gap was 16.25 mEq/L. The most common cause of a low anion gap was presumptive laboratory error.(JAMA 243:1737-1738, 1980)
SN  - 0098-7484
M3  - doi: 10.1001/jama.1980.03300430039020
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1980.03300430039020
ER  -