Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Balance

Flashcards reviewing key concepts from the lecture on Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Balance.

Characteristics of body fluids

Fluid amount (volume), concentration (osmolality), composition (electrolyte concentration), and degree of acidity (pH).

Movement of Water and Electrolytes

Active transport, diffusion, osmosis, and filtration.

Fluid balance

Fluid intake, fluid distribution, and fluid output (antidiuretic hormone, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, atrial natriuretic peptide).

Fluid imbalances

Extracellular fluid volume imbalances and osmolality imbalances (hypernatremia, hyponatremia), and clinical dehydration.

Electrolyte imbalances

Potassium imbalances, calcium imbalances, and magnesium imbalances.

Acid-base balance

Acid production, acid buffering, and acid excretion (carbonic acid, metabolic acids).

Acid-base Imbalances

Respiratory acidosis, respiratory alkalosis, metabolic acidosis, and metabolic alkalosis.

Nursing history assessment factors

Age, environment, dietary intake, lifestyle, and medications.

Examples of Analysis and nursing diagnosis

Examples include: Fluid Imbalance, Dehydration, Electrolyte imbalance, Acid Base Imbalance, Lack of Knowledge of Fluid Regimen

Acute care implementation for fluid balance

Enteral replacement of fluids, restriction of fluids, parenteral replacement of fluids and electrolytes, parenteral nutrition and intravenous therapy (crystaloids).

Complications of intravenous therapy

Circulatory overload of IV solution, infiltration, extravasation, phlebitis, local infection, air embolism, and bleeding at venipuncture site.

Safety guidelines before initiating solutions or medications

Verify orders and gather equipment, check patient identification using two identifiers, determine if the patient has a latex allergy, conduct a history and physical assessment and review laboratory findings, know the indications for prescribed therapy.