Fluid therapy flashcards regular

Vocabulary flashcards for understanding fluid balance in veterinary patients.

Total Body Water

The percentage of the total weight of an animal that is water weight, typically 50-70%.

Intracellular Fluid (ICF)

Fluid found inside cells; makes up 60% of total body water.

Interstitial Fluid

Fluid found around the cells but not in blood vessels; makes up 30% of total body water.

Intravascular Fluid

Fluid found inside blood vessels; makes up 10% of total body water.

Extracellular Fluid (ECF)

Fluid found outside the cells, including intravascular and interstitial fluids.

Anion

A negatively charged particle.

Cation

A positively charged particle.

Equivalents (mEq)

A unit used to measure the concentration of particles in a solution, defined as the weight in grams of an element that combines with one gram of hydrogen ion.

gm%

The weight of solute per 100 ml of solution; for example, 0.9% sodium chloride (NaCl) has 0.9 grams of salt (NaCl) per 100 ml of solution.

Diffusion

The process in which substances move from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration.

Semipermeable Membrane

A membrane that allows only certain substances to pass through it.

Osmosis

The process in which water moves across a semipermeable membrane from areas of low solute concentration to areas of high solute concentration.

Osmotic Pressure

The ability of a particle to attract water across a membrane.

Hypertonic

Having a higher concentration of solute compared to another solution.

Hypotonic

Having a lower concentration of solute compared to another solution.

Isotonic

Having the same concentration of solute compared to another solution.

Sources of Water Intake

Water taken in orally, ingested in food, and resulting from food metabolism.

Sources of Water Loss

Urine, fecal water, sweat, and respiration.

Maintenance Costs

The amount of water needed to maintain an animal's normal bodily functions.

Dehydration

A state in which an animal loses more water than it takes in.

Signs of Dehydration

Vomiting, diarrhea, lack of desire to drink, dry/tacky mucous membranes, poor skin turgor, weak pulse, and reduced jugular vein distension.

Laboratory Tests for Dehydration

Packed cell volume, total plasma protein, and urine specific gravity.

Fluid Debt

The amount of fluid needed to replace the fluid deficit in a dehydrated animal.

Oral Fluid Administration

Administering fluids via the mouth.

Parenteral Fluid Administration

Administering fluids by injection.

Intraosseous (IO)

Inside the bone; fluids are administered into the marrow cavity of a bone.

Intraperitoneal (IP)

Injected into the body cavity.

Subcutaneous (SQ)

Injected under the skin.

Intravenous (IV)

Administered directly into a vein using a catheter.

Overhydration

A condition of having too much fluid in the body.

Signs of Overhydration

Restlessness, clear nasal discharge, crackles in lungs, tachycardia, and dyspnea.

Crystalloid Solutions

Solutions containing electrolytes and other substances that are able to travel anywhere in the body.

Colloid Solutions

Solutions containing large particles that cannot cross cell membranes and remain in the vascular space.

Hypertonic Solutions

Solutions used to draw water from the interstitial and intracellular areas into the vascular space.

Common Fluid Additives

Sodium bicarbonate, potassium chloride, calcium, and dextrose (sugar).

Water-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins that are excreted through the kidneys, such as B-complex vitamins.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins that are not easily excreted and can become toxic with over-supplementation, such as A, D, E, and K.

Vitamin A

Essential for growth and visual pigment in the eyes; made from carotenoids (beta-carotene).

Vitamin D

Essential for growth and regulation of calcium levels; important for reptiles that cannot convert it to its active form without ultraviolet light.

Vitamin E

Acts as an antioxidant; low levels in large animals may lead to muscle diseases.

Vitamin K1

Involved in the clotting process; can be used as an antidote for some rat poisons.