Fluid imbalances conditions resulting

Conditions Resulting in Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Imbalances 185... 

Fluid volume imbalance has great implications for a patient. Excess or insufficient fluid volume could result in poor tissue perfusion. Some patients are at high risk for imbalance owing to young or extreme age or preexisting conditions, such as infection or gastrointestinal upset. The causes of hypovolemia or hypervolemia vary from altered intake— insuffient or excessive intake—to altered fluid reabsorption or excretion. Key points in this chapter include... 

Most conditions will cause an imbalance in more than just electrolytes. Fluid imbalance will follow certain electrolyte imbalances, and acid-base imbalance will result from certain electrolyte imbalances. As stated in previous chapters, acid-base... 

In inflammatory conditions, activated PMNs may pro-teolytically (by release of lysosomal enzymes) and oxidatively (by release of HOCl) inactivate ai-antitrypsin. Studies of synovial fluid samples from patients with RA showed that a i-antitrypsin was both cleaved and oxidized, resulting in inactivation (Chidwick et al., 1991, 1994). Free-radical attack on ai-antitrypsin and its subsequent inactivation may contribute to the destruction of joint tissues in arthritis due to the imbalance between elastase and its inhibitors. 

Fluids and Electrolytes Demystified is a detailed, easy-to-understand overview of the concepts it focuses on the information that students need most to understand the conditions that result in fluid and electrolyte imbalances. The book emphasizes the most critical information in fluids and electrolytes by discussing the underlying mechanisms involved in maintaining fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base balance and by discussing the factors that fail and result in an imbalance. 

The integral part that endocrine glands and their hormones play in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance provides a clear basis why dysfunction in these glands would result in fluid, electrolyte, or acid-base imbalances. Three conditions will be bighligbted here to indicate this point. 

Many conditions, particularly those affecting ADH, can result in imbalances in fluids, electrolytes, and acid-base. Conditions can affect more than one system and result in more than one imbalance. The nurse can anticipate some imbalances based... 

Abnormal electrolyte concentrations in blood serum can indicate the presence of disease. The ion concentrations that vary as a result of disease are Na+, K+, Cl , and HCO J. Sodium ion concentration is a good indicator of the water balance between blood and tissue cells. Unusual potassium ion levels can indicate kidney or gastrointestinal problems. Chloride ion is the anion that balances the positive charge of the sodium ion in the fluid outside the cells. It also diffuses into a cell to maintain normal electrolyte balance when hydrogen carbonate ions diffuse out of the cell into the blood. Table IB shows medical conditions associated with electrolyte imbalances. 

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