Potential errors in the application of mixture theory to multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis

Abstract

Potential errors in the application of mixture theory to the analysis of multiple-frequency bioelectrical impedance data for the determination of body fluid volumes are assessed. Potential sources of error include: conductive length; tissue fluid resistivity; body density; weight and technical errors of measurement. Inclusion of inaccurate estimates of body density and weight introduce errors of typically but incorrect assumptions regarding conductive length or fluid resistivities may each incur errors of up to 20%. Keywords: mixture theory, errors, bioelectrical impedance analysis, multiple-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis