WATER AND ELECTROLYTE BALANCE. 2
No description yet. This curated deck is ready for daily study.
Card preview (16)
What are electrolytes, and why are they essential?
Electrolytes are essential components involved in numerous processes, including volume and osmotic regulation, myocardial rhythm and contractility, and cofactors in enzyme activation. They play critical roles in maintaining proper bodily functions.
Name three electrolytes and describe one process each that they are involved in.
• Sodium (Na+): Involved in muscle contraction. • Potassium (K+): Important for myocardial rhythm and contractility. • Chloride (Cl-): Helps maintain osmotic pressure.
How do Magnesium (Mg2+) and Calcium (Ca2+) contribute to myocardial rhythm and contractility
Magnesium and Calcium are crucial for cardiac excitability and muscular contraction processes, ensuring proper heart function.
What role does Zinc (Zn2+) play according to the text?
Zinc regulates adenosine triphosphate enzymes, which are essential for energy production and cellular processes.
Specimens for electrolyte determination
• serum, plasma • No preservatives are needed for urine for sodium, chloride and potassium ions • Body fluid aspirates, feces • GI fluid samples
Roles of sodium ions
• responsible for almost one half of the osmotic strength of plasma • Takes part in maintaining normal water distribution and osmotic pressure in the ECF
Sodium {Na+}
• major cation of the extracellular fluid • 1 to 2 mmol/d and the excess is excreted by kidneys
Specimens for sodium determination
• serum, plasma and urine maybe stored at 4 degrees • Lipemic samples should be ultracentrifuged and the inflanatant
Determination of sodium
Can be determined by: 1. Atomic absorption spectrophometry 2. Flame emission spectrophometry 3. Electrochemically with an Na+-ISE • ISE ARE THE COMMONEST METHODS USED
Clinical significance of sodium or implications that result due to low levels of sodium
• Hyponatremia manifests as nausea, generalized weakness and mental confusion
Categories of hyponatremia
• Hypo-osmotic • Hyper-osmotic • Iso-osmotic
How does hypo-osmotic hyponatremia start
• due to depletion and dilutional hyponatremia
What clinical implications are associated with hypo-osmotic hyponatremia
• Advanced renal failure • Congestive heart failure • Hepatic cirrhosis • Nephrotic syndrome
Clinical implications associated with hypo-osmotic hyponatremia
• Severe hyperglycemia
Clinical implications associated with iso-osmotic hyponatremia
• most likely explains pseudohyponatremis
Other categories of hyponatremia and their causes
• Hypovolemic hyponatremia is caused by dehydration • Hypervolemic hyponatremia is caused by the receiving of hypertonic saline or sodium bicarbonate • Normovolemic hyponatremia maybe be observed in diabetes insipidus