Electrolytes: K and Anion Gap

K

What ion is the major intracellular cation, and plays a role in the resting cell-membrane potential? Imbalances can cause cardiac and skeletal muscle dysfunction.

Hyperkalemia

What blood ion condition is caused by increased potassium, due to metabolic acidosis, renal disease, shifting of ECF/ICF K, decreased renal excretion, or pseudo-this condition?

Metabolic Acidosis

What condition causes inorganic hyperkalemia due to acute renal disease moving K out of cells?

Insulin

What hormone can cause hyperkalemia by exchanging K for H to maintain electroneutrality between the ICF and ECF?

Addison’s

What disease causes hyperkalemia due to decreased renal excretion?

Yes

Can vigorous exercise, severe tissue damage, selenium deficiency, and equine hyperkalemic periodic paralysis all occur/cause hyperkalemia?

Yes

Will renal failure, urinary tract obstruction, and ruptured bladder all cause hyperkalemia?

Pseudohyperkalemia

What blood ion condition occurs in vitro, not in vivo? It can be due to hemolysis or leakage of IC potassium. Shiba inus and sharpeis are commonly seen to show this.

Akita

What dog breed, along with lymphoblastic leukemia conditions, can cause pseudohyperkalemia due to leakage of IC potassium?

Trichuris

What worm parasite can cause hyperkalemia due to pseudo-addison’s?

EDTA

What tube can cause hyperkalemia (pseudo)? Salmonella, urinary tract obstructions, chylothorax, congestive heart failure, severe metabolic acidosis, and high K IV fluids can also cause hyperkalemia.

Periodic paralysis

What equine condition occurs due to hyperkalemia in autosomal dominant quarter horses due to a genetic mutation in the skeletal muscle sodium channel gene? Most affected horses are heterozygotes and the classical signs are periodic attacks of muscle fasciculation, spasm, weakness, and recumbency.

No

Is hyperkalemia expected in organic acidosis? If there is movement of potassium it will be minimal.

Hypokalemia

What blood ion condition is one of the most common electrolyte disturbances in critically ill vet patients? Signs include muscular weakness, neck ventroflexion, cardiac arrhythmias, lethargy, anorexia, ileus, nausea, and vomiting.

Metabolic Alkalosis

What condition causes hypokalemia due to redistribution of EC fluid into cells, leaving the K normal? Excess loss of potassium will occur.

Redistribution

Which type of hypokalemia maintains electroneutrality between the ICF and ECF? K is exchanged for H and it is caused by alkalosis. The total body K is not affected.

PU

What cause of excess renal K loss involves high flow rate, K secretion, feline kaliopenic nephropathy, diuresis (post-obstructive), and increased aldosterone?

Yes

Can ketonuria and lactaturia cause hypokalemia due to excess potassium loss? Hypochloremic alkalosis can cause GI obstruction which can also lead to this.

Acidosis

In hypokalemia due to GI loss of K, both K and HCO3 are lost in diarrhea, resulting in what condition? H will enter the cells and K will leave the cells which may mask the total body deficit but not usually.

Yes

Can sequestration of K in intestinal fluid due to ileus or saliva in cattle cause hypokalemia? Excessive sweating in horses and anorexia can also cause this.

Burmese

Hypokalemia in what cat breed, due to periodic polymyopathy, involves muscle weakness associated with intermittent hypokalemia, high CK with muscle damage, and autosomal recessive genes?

Acidosis

Normokalemia can still occur in what condition when it is a primary disorder, even though the total body K decreases by renal or diarrheal causes? K will shift from the ICF to the ECF, and will change to hypokalemia when treatment is given.

Hypokalemia

What blood ion condition occurs after treating an animal for acidosis, due to the corrective flow of K out of the ICF to the ECF?

Anion Gap

The main purpose of what parameter is to detect increases in unmeasured anions and acids?

High Anion Gap Acidosis

What four-letter term refers to the buffering process where bicarbonate reacts with excess hydrogen ions to form carbonic acid, helping to neutralize the acid and stabilize the pH temporarily? When acid is added, only the HCO3 will drop, increasing the anion gap. Organic acids, lactic acidosis, ketone bodies, renal failure, and other causes like ethylene glycol poisoning can all produce this.

Normal anion gap hyperchloremic

In what type of metabolic acidosis do the kidneys help regulate acid-base balance by secreting H ions into the urine and reabsorbing bicarbonate? It can be caused by diarrhea, renal tubular acidosis and other causes, and the key feature is a normal anion gap with increased chloride to maintain electroneutrality. HCO3 will decrease and Cl will increase, and it is caused mainly by direct loss of HCO3.

GI obstruction

Low Na, disproportionately low Cl, low K, and high bicarbonate, all point to volvulus, LDA, or what other cause?

Addison’s

Low Na, Low Cl, High K, and low bicarbonate all point to urinary obstruction/rupture, DM without ketones, or what disease as the cause?

Ketones

Low Na, Low Cl, normal or low K, and acidosis all point to diabetes mellitus with what molecules present in the body?