Diagnosis and management of electrolyte emergencies

摘要: Electrolyte and fluid imbalances are disorders frequently observed in critical care patients. In many instances patients asymptomatic, but they may also present with neurological alterations, severe muscle weakness, nausea vomiting or cardiovascular emergencies. Therefore, a pathophysiological understanding of these is necessary for initiating an appropriate therapy. After precise history-including drug prescriptions-has been obtained from the patient his/her relatives, determination hydration status measurement acid-base status, plasma urine osmolality electrolytes first steps assessment disease. Once diagnosis has established, great attention to be paid rate at which disorder corrected because this-if inappropriate-may cause more damage than disease itself. This chapter addresses initial diagnostic therapeutic most common electrolyte