Fluid/Electrolytes & Acid/Base Imbalances

LECTURE #1

How much water is in adults?

50-60%

How much water is in infants?

75-80%

Fluid Volume Deficit/Dehydration

intake is less than needed to meet requirements

Isotonic Dehydration

happens when your body loses equal amounts of water and sodium, leaving your blood's salt concentration normal

Vasoconstriction/Peripheral Resistance

body’s main defense to maintain BP and circulation during dehydration

BUN/Creatinine

helps to evaluate kidney function, hydration levels, and blood flows to kidneys

Urine Specific Gravity

a laboratory measurement that compares the density of your urine to the density of pure water to check your hydration status and how well your kidneys concentrate waste

Urine Osmolarity

measures the number of dissolved particles—such as sodium, potassium, urea, and glucose—per unit of water in your urine to evaluate your kidneys' ability to concentrate or dilute urine and check your fluid balance

Infiltration

happens when intravenous fluid or medicine leaks into the tissue under the skin instead of going into the vein

Phlebitis

inflammation of a vein caused by an intravenous (IV) catheter

Fluid Overload/Hypervolemia

excess of body fluid

What can the dilution of sodium and phosphorus lead to?

seizures, coma, death

What line should electrolytes go into?

central line

Hypotonic

have a lower solute concentration (osmolality) than blood, causing water to shift out of the blood vessels and into the cells via osmosis

Hypertonic

administering intravenous solutions with a higher solute concentration than blood plasma, which causes water to shift out of the cells and into the extracellular space (causing cells to shrink)

Isotonic

have the same concentration of solutes as blood plasma (275–295 mOsm/L), meaning they stay inside the blood vessels and do not cause cells to shrink or swell.

Electrolytes

a substance that produces an electrically conducting solution when dissolved in water

Ascites

accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity

Major Intracellular Electrolytes

potassium, phosphorus, magnesium

Major Extracellular Electrolytes

sodium, calcium, chloride, bicarbonate

Potassium Range

3.5 - 5.0mEq/L

Kayexalate

lowers blood potassium levels by acting as a non-absorbed cation-exchange resin that binds potassium in the gastrointestinal tract and expels it through the feces

50% glucose in insulin

lower dangerously high blood potassium levels by shifting K+ back in cells, while protecting against acute decreases in blood sugar

Calcium Gluconate

a mineral medication used primarily by intravenous (IV) infusion to treat acute low blood calcium (hypocalcemia), protect the heart during high blood potassium (hyperkalemia), or manage magnesium toxicity

bicarbonate

alkaline chemical compound—most commonly known as sodium bicarbonate or baking soda (NaHCO₃)—that acts as a vital pH buffer in the human body.

Loop diuretics

help lower high blood potassium levels by forcing the kidneys to flush extra potassium out through the urine in patients who have fluid overload

What does Potassium do?

Balance fluid volume, nerve transmissions, heart contractions, and muscle functioning

Sodium Range

135-145mEq/L

What is the Sodium function?

balancing fluid volume, balancing blood volume, and regulating nerve impulses

Conivaptan Hydrochloride(Vasoprisol)

intravenous prescription medication used to treat low blood sodium levels (hyponatremia) in hospitalized patients

Calcium Range

9.0 - 10.5 mg/dL

What is calcium’s function?

muscle contractions, bone formation, and hormone regulation

Calcitonin

a hormone produced by the thyroid gland that helps lower blood calcium levels, It stops osteoclasts (cells that break down bone) from releasing calcium into the blood

Thiazide Diuretics

prescription "water pills" that treat high blood pressure and reduce swelling by helping your kidneys remove extra salt and water from your body

Bisphosphonates

prescription medications that slow down bone breakdown to treat and prevent bone-weakening conditions like osteoporosis

Lasix

prescription loop diuretic, commonly called a "water pill," that helps your body get rid of extra salt and water through urine to reduce swelling and fluid buildup

Glucocorticoids

disrupt calcium balance by reducing intestinal calcium absorption and increasing renal calcium excretion,

Calcium chelating

chemical compounds that bind tightly to calcium ions in solution, rendering them inactive or forming soluble complexes

What is the function of Magnesium?

relaxes muscles, cardiac functioning, regulation of blood glucose

Total Parenteral Nutrition(TPN)

Hypertonic IV Bolus Solution, prevents/ corrects nutritional deficiencies & minimize adverse effects of malnourishment, delivered via central line

Parenteral Nutrition

less hypertonic solution intended for short-term use, administered in PIV

Albuminin

a primary blood protein made by the liver to evaluate overall liver and kidney health