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Regulation of Electrolytes

 

Body fluids are normally slightly alkaline, between: pH of 7.35 and 7.45

  • Factors Affecting Body Fluid, Electrolyte Age

  • Sex and body size

  • Health Condition

  • Medications

  • Environmental temperature

  • Lifestyle

    • Diet

    • Exercise

    • Stress

    • Alcohol consumption

Electrolyte

Regulation

Function

Sodium (Na+)

- Renal reabsorption or excretion

- Aldosterone increases Na+ reabsorption in collecting duct of nephrons

- Regulating ECF volume and distribution

- Maintaining blood volume

- Transmitting nerve impulses and contracting muscles

Potassium (K+)

- Renal excretion

- Aldosterone increases K+ excretion

- Movement into and out of cells

- Insulin helps move K+ into cells; tissue damage and acidosis shift K+ out of cells into ECF

- Maintaining ICF osmolality

- Transmitting nerve and other electrical impulses

- Regulating cardiac impulse transmission and muscle contraction

Calcium (Ca2+)

- Redistribution between bones and ECF

- Parathyroid hormone and calcitriol increase serum Ca2+ levels; calcitonin decreases serum levels

- Skeletal and smooth muscle function

- Regulating acid-base balance

- Forming bones and teeth

- Transmitting nerve impulses

- Regulating muscle contractions

- Maintaining cardiac pacemaker (automaticity)

- Blood clotting

Magnesium (Mg2+)

- Conservation and excretion by kidneys

- Intestinal absorption increased by vitamin D and parathyroid hormone

- Intraocular metabolism

- Operating sodium-potassium pump

- Relaxing muscle contractions

- Transmitting nerve impulses

- Regulating cardiac function

Chloride (Cl-)

- Excreted and reabsorbed along with sodium in the kidneys

- Aldosterone increases chloride reabsorption with sodium

- Regulating ECF balance and vascular volume

- Regulating acid-base balance

Bicarbonate (HCO3-)

- Excretion and reabsorption along with sodium in the kidneys

- Regeneration by kidneys

- Major body buffer involved in acid-base regulation

- Buffer in oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange in RBCs

Phosphate (PO4-)

- Parathyroid hormone decreases serum levels by increasing renal excretion

- Reciprocal relationship with calcium: increasing serum calcium decreases phosphate levels; decreasing serum calcium increases phosphate

- Forming bones and teeth

- Metabolizing carbohydrate, protein, and fat

- Cellular metabolism; producing ATP and DNA

- Muscle, nerve, and RBC function

Questions on Regulation of Electrolytes

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

<p>Monitoring the client for signs of hypernatremia is not necessary for a client who has a low serum sodium level. Hypernatremia is a condition of high serum sodium level, which is opposite to the client&#39;s condition. Signs of hypernatremia include thirst, dry mucous membranes, confusion, and seizures.</p>

Correct Answer is ["A","C","D","E"]

Explanation

<p>Tissue injury. This is a condition where there is damage or destruction of body tissues due to trauma, infection, inflammation, or ischemia (lack of blood supply) Tissue injury can cause hyperkalemia by releasing potassium from the injured cells into the blood. This can occur in conditions such as burns, crush injuries, rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown), hemolysis (red blood cell breakdown), or tumor lysis syndrome (cancer cell breakdown)</p>

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

<p>Limiting caffeine intake while taking calcium supplements is a good idea, but not the most important one. Caffeine can increase calcium excretion in the urine, but this effect can be offset by consuming adequate amounts of calcium from food or supplements.</p>

<p>Tetany is an expected finding for a client who has hypomagnesemia. Tetany is a condition characterized by involuntary muscle contractions, often affecting the hands and feet. It is caused by low levels of calcium or magnesium in the blood, which interfere with normal nerve impulses.</p>

<p>Phosphate is an anion that is mostly found in bones and teeth, but also participates in energy metabolism, acid-base balance, and nucleic acid synthesis. It does not regulate ECF balance and vascular volume.</p>
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