Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Electrolyte imbalance, or water-electrolyte imbalance, is an abnormality in the concentration of electrolytes in the body. Electrolytes play a vital role in maintaining homeostasis in the body. They help to regulate heart and neurological function, fluid balance , oxygen delivery , acid–base balance and much more.
Intracellular movement of electrolytes occurs along with a fall in the serum electrolytes, including phosphate and magnesium. Levels of serum glucose may rise, and B 1 vitamin ( thiamine ) may fall. Abnormal heart rhythms are the most common cause of death from refeeding syndrome, with other significant risks including confusion, coma and ...
History and physical can often make the diagnosis of hypovolemic shock. For patients with hemorrhagic shock, a history of trauma or recent surgery is present. [4] For hypovolemic shock due to fluid losses, history and physical should attempt to identify possible GI, renal, skin, or third-spacing as a cause of extracellular fluid loss. [4]
Other electrolyte abnormalities may also be present. [ citation needed ] An increase in the pH of the blood (alkalosis) can cause temporary hypokalemia by causing a shift of potassium out of the plasma and interstitial fluids into the urine via a number of interrelated mechanisms.
This is commonly ordered when liver disease is suspected as part of a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) in conjunction with the electrolyte panel known as the basic metabolic panel (BMP). In kidney disease, a CMP may be ordered as a follow-up test when proteinuria is detected by urine dipstick analysis , which may lead to a diagnosis of ...
The electrolytes measured most often are sodium and potassium. Chloride levels are rarely measured except for arterial blood gas interpretations since they are inherently linked to sodium levels. One important test conducted on urine is the specific gravity test to determine the occurrence of an electrolyte imbalance. [citation needed]
This was not "salt wasting"; it was a physiologic response to an expanded intravascular volume. Vasopressin-ADH administration to normal humans was shown to result in water retention and urinary loss of electrolytes (primarily sodium) in other studies at the time. [24] The term "cerebral salt wasting" (CSW) was coined by Cort in 1954.
Hemodialysis is usually indicated in people with severe metabolic acidosis (blood pH less than 7.3), kidney failure, severe electrolyte imbalance, or if the person's condition is deteriorating despite treatment. [10] [24] Often both antidotal treatment and hemodialysis are used together in the treatment of poisoning.