THE CLINICAL, hematologic, and antigenic properties of coconut water have been described earlier.* The purpose of this paper is to review our clinical experience with the intravenous administration of coconut water in 157 patients and to evaluate its clinical role as an intravenous solution for use in parts of the world where pyrogen-free solutions cannot be obtained.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Fresh coconut water was administered intravenously to patients according to the methods previously discribed.*The patients used in this study were from the surgical wards of the Siriraj and Chulalongkorn Medical School Hospitals in Bangkok, Thailand (4 patients); from the surgical wards of the Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, (17 patients), and from the wards of the Tela Railroad Hospital in Tela, Honduras (136 patients). These patients were well hydrated, had a good urinary output, and were not acutely ill at the time of infusion.The coconuts used in Thailand