Conemaugh School of Nursing: Fundamentals of Nursing Lab Sheet – Week 2

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering normal adult ranges, critical values, causes, clinical manifestations, and nursing considerations for essential blood chemistry labs: glucose, sodium, potassium, chloride, and magnesium.

Normal Adult Glucose Range

The standard resting blood glucose level in adults, defined as $70-110\,mg/dL$.

Glucose Critical Findings

Potentially life-threatening adult blood glucose levels defined as less than $40\,mg/dL$ or greater than $400\,mg/dL$.

Type I Diabetes

A form of diabetes characterized by a defect in insulin action.

Type II Diabetes

A metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance where the body cannot use insulin effectively.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

The preferred laboratory method used to detect whether an individual has diabetes.

Hyperglycemia

An abnormally high blood glucose state related to insulin resistance and/or pancreatic dysfunction, presenting with symptoms such as abdominal pain, fatigue, muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting, polyuria, polyphagia, and polydipsia.

Hypoglycemia

An abnormally low blood glucose state caused by excess insulin, alcohol ingestion without food, skipping meals, or reactive/fasting states, presenting with headache, confusion, irritability, nervousness, restlessness, diaphoresis, and weakness.

Normal Adult Sodium Range

The conventional reference range for sodium in adult blood, which is $135-145\,mEq/L$.

Sodium Critical Findings

Critical blood sodium concentrations in adults defined as less than $120\,mEq/L$ or greater than $160\,mEq/L$.

Hypernatremia

Elevated blood sodium primarily caused by water loss exceeding sodium loss or excessive sodium gain relative to water, presenting with restlessness, intense thirst, weakness, swollen tongue, seizures, and coma.

Hyponatremia

Subnormal blood sodium caused by excess water diluting sodium or excessive sodium loss, presenting with confusion, irritability, convulsions, tachycardia, nausea, vomiting, and loss of consciousness.

Normal Adult Potassium Range

The standard conventional reference range for potassium in adult blood, which is $3.5-5.3\,mEq/L$.

Potassium Critical Findings

Critical serum potassium levels in adults defined as less than $2.5\,mEq/L$ or greater than $6.2\,mEq/L$.

Hyperkalemia

Elevated blood potassium commonly caused by impaired kidney function, hormonal imbalances, excessive intake, or medications, presenting with irritability, diarrhea, cramps, oliguria, difficulty speaking, and cardiac dysrhythmias.

Hypokalemia

Abnormally low blood potassium commonly caused by excessive loss from diuretics, vomiting, diarrhea, or medications, presenting with malaise, thirst, polyuria, anorexia, weak pulse, low BP, vomiting, decreased reflexes, and electrocardiographic changes.

Normal Adult Chloride Range

The standard conventional blood concentration range for chloride in adults, which is $95-105\,mEq/L$.

Chloride Critical Findings

Critical serum chloride values in adults defined as less than $80\,mEq/L$ or greater than $115\,mEq/L$.

Hyperchloremia

Elevated blood chloride caused by dehydration, kidney dysfunction, excessive salt intake, or specific drug influences, manifesting as weakness, lethargy, and deep rapid breathing.

Hypochloremia

Subnormal blood chloride caused by fluid loss from vomiting, diarrhea, diuretic use, kidney disease, heart failure, excessive sweating, or SIADH, manifesting as twitching or tremors, slow or shallow breathing, and decreased blood pressure.

Normal Adult Magnesium Range

The conventional reference range for serum magnesium in adults, which is $1.6-2.2\,mg/dL$.

Magnesium Critical Findings

Critical adult serum magnesium levels defined as less than $1\,mg/dL$ or greater than $9\,mg/dL$.

Hypermagnesemia

Elevated serum magnesium caused by kidney failure, adrenal insufficiency, hypothyroidism, hemolysis, IBS, or lithium therapy, presenting with bradycardia and ECG changes such as prolonged P-R and Q-T intervals.

Hypomagnesemia

Deficient serum magnesium caused by gastrointestinal or renal loss, inadequate dietary intake, or impaired absorption, presenting with confusion, convulsions, decreased reflexes, dizziness, dysrhythmias, hyperactivity, nausea, tetany, tremors, and vomiting.