Body fluids balance

If dehydration occurs because vomiting is severe, intravenous fluids may be needed to restore body fluid balance. 

Once the heart and vasculature are linked, neural and hormonal controls need to be added. These include the baroreflex, the chemoreflex, the renin-angiotensin reflex, capillary fluid shift, autoregulation, stress relaxation, and renal-body-fluid balance (water intake and urine output). 

Corticosteroids exhibit a wide range of physiological effects One important func tion IS to assist m maintaining the proper electrolyte balance m body fluids They also play a vital regulatory role m the metabolism of carbohydrates and m mediating the alter gic response... 

As we have seen in this chapter steroids have a number of functions in human physiology Cholesterol is a component part of cell mem branes and is found in large amounts in the brain Derivatives of cholic acid assist the digestion of fats in the small intestine Cortisone and its derivatives are involved in maintaining the electrolyte balance in body fluids The sex hormones responsible for mascu line and feminine characteristics as well as numerous aspects of pregnancy from conception to birth are steroids... 

To maintain fluid balance, the total amount of fluid gained throughout the day (input, or ins ) must equal the total amount of fluid lost (output, or outs ). Although most forms of the body s input and output can be measured, several cannot. For... 

The body s normal daily sodium requirement is 1.0 to 1.5 mEq/kg (80 to 130 mEq, which is 80 to 130 mmol) to maintain a normal serum sodium concentration of 136 to 145 mEq/L (136 to 145 mmol/L).15 Sodium is the predominant cation of the ECF and largely determines ECF volume. Sodium is also the primary factor in establishing the osmotic pressure relationship between the ICF and ECF. All body fluids are in osmotic equilibrium and changes in serum sodium concentration are associated with shifts of water into and out of body fluid compartments. When sodium is added to the intravascular fluid compartment, fluid is pulled intravascularly from the interstitial fluid and the ICF until osmotic balance is restored. As such, a patient s measured sodium level should not be viewed as an index of sodium need because this parameter reflects the balance between total body sodium content and TBW. Disturbances in the sodium level most often represent disturbances of TBW. Sodium imbalances cannot be properly assessed without first assessing the body fluid status. 

Because disturbances in fluid balance are routinely encountered in clinical medicine, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of body fluid compartments and the therapeutic use of fluids. Similarly, disturbances in serum sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium are ubiquitous and must be mastered by all clinicians. Dysregulation of fluid and/or electrolyte status has serious implications regarding the concepts of drug absorption, volumes of distribution, and toxicity. Similarly, many medications can disrupt fluid and/or electrolyte balance as an unintended consequence. 

Aldosterone (183) is one of the key steroid hormones involved in regulation of the body s mineral and fluid balance. Excess levels of this steroid quickly lead to marked retention of sodium chloride, water and, often as a consequence, hypertension. The aldosterone antagonist spironolactone (184) has proven of great clinical value in blocking the effects... 

Acid-base balance involves chemical and physiological processes responsible for the maintenance of the pH of body fluids at levels that allow optimal function of the whole individual. The ability for the body to regulate pH is critically important in maintaining the operation of many cellular enzymes and the function of vital organs, such as the brain and the heart [143],... 

Severe emesis - Severe emesis should not be treated with an antiemetic drug alone where possible, establish cause of vomiting. Direct primary emphasis toward restoration of body fluids and electrolyte balance, and relief of fever and causative disease process. Avoid overhydration which may result in cerebral edema. 

Diuretics are compounds that therapeutically affect the mammalian nephral excretion balance, increasing the net excretion of water and solutes. Thus, they modify the excretion of water and the concentration of salts in the body through the kidney so as to ensure a constant volume of body fluids. Their functions influence blood pressure and the actions of several organs. Some of the leading diuretics and electrolytes and the extent of their prescription are summarized in... 

Mecftanism of Action Sodium Is a major cat ion of extracellular fluid that controls water distribution, fluid and electrolyte balance, and osmotic pressure of body fluids it also maintains acid-base balance. 

Because mental illnesses are due to an imbalance between the body fluids, treatment must seek to restore the balance. Methods directed to the body were recommended, such as diet, bathing and showering, blood-letting and laxatives (hellebore). 

CHLORIDE (Biological Aspects). Sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and other chloride salts, when ingested by animals from feedstuffs and humans from various food substances, reduce to a consideration of the cation involved (Na", K h. etc.) and the Cl (chloride) ion. Generally, in terms of animal and human nutrition, more research has been conducted and more is known about the role of cations in metabolism than that of the chloride ion. Some physiologists and nutritionists in the pasi have described chloride as playing a "passive role" in maintaining the body s ionic and fluid balance. With exception of the chloride shift" in venous blood, the movements of chloride have usually been considered secondary to those of the cations. 

Taking into account the important role of balance in oxidant-antioxidant phenomena for human health and interrelation between internal and external factors, evaluation of oxidant-antioxidant state of human body fluids and natural resources of antioxidants is essential for therapy and prevention of diseases and adverse effects of environment. Thus, analysis of ready-made food and production processes monitoring are of great importance. 

Phosphate Facilitates energy storage and release, nucleotide synthesis, and maintenance of acid-base balance in body fluids Men women 700 mg/d... 

Four humors as in ancient Greek medicine — blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile — semigaseous vapors that maintain body fluids and balance digestion (Thomas, 1997 and General References). 

The recommended ratio of phosphorus to calcium is 1 1, except in infants it is 2 1. For older infants, the recommended intake of phosphorus is increased to 80% of the calcium requirement, so that the ratio is similar to cow s milk (Harper 1969). Both phosphorus and calcium are distributed similarly in foods, hence a sufficient intake of calcium ensures a sufficient intake of phosphorus. The exception is cows milk, which contains more phosphorus than calcium (Harper 1969). The adult daily requirement for phosphorus is about 700 mg. A balanced diet provides sufficient amounts of phosphorus because it is commonly found in foods (phosphoproteins and phospholipids, inorganic phosphate), especially milk and milk products, wheat, meats and fish (Latner 1975). In the body, normal serum (inorganic) phosphorus levels are 4-7 mg/100 mL in children and 3-4.5 mg/100 mL in adults and the elderly. In body fluids and tissues, normal serum phosphorus levels found are 40, 170-250, 360, and 22,600 mg/100 mL in blood, muscle, nerve, and both bones and teeth, respectively (Harper 1969 Tietz 1970). 

Although the stratum corneum acts as a simple physical barrier to outside influences, skin tissue as a whole is very active. It is crucial in maintaining the body s homeostasis, its essential steady-state environment. Skin maintains temperature and balance of electrolytes, the dissolved salts in internal body fluids. It is metabolically active and participates in hormonal and immune regulatory processes. More than serving as a passive barrier, it is proactive in response to xenobiotic insults and can be damaged in the defensive process by developing rashes and other symptoms. 

The primary functions of the blood may be considered in a broad sense to be the following (1) metabolic regulation—transport of oxygen, carbon dioxide, metabolites, hormones (2) physical and chemical regulation—temperature, acid-base balance, and osmotic pressure and fluid balance and (3) regulation of body defenses—protection against infection by the action of antibodies, leukocytes, and other mechanisms and prevention of hemorrhage. 

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