Fluid & Electrolytes - HELP!

Imafloat, BSN, RN · Feb 1, 2006

Brain flatulence here, but what do you mean? Osmolarity?

Boston-RN, RN · Feb 1, 2006

I had this same deliema last semester and used the "made easy" book and found it a godsend. If you really nail the effects the particular electrolye has on the body and what it's purpose is it's sometimes easier to think about what and excess/decrese would reflect. (like calcium-nerve conduction/muscle contraction) - hypercalceima - tetany.....example.

Good Luck.....this was one area I really had to just really spend a lot of time reading about.

mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 1, 2006

This is just material you have to learn. There is not an easy way but it's something that will haunt you all your semesters of school, so you might as well learn it now :)

http://www.maagnursing.com/ABG/index.php

http://www.acid-base.com/

Both of these are good sites with some good information.

Check out your book, see if it has a website. Sometimes the textbook for your class will have a website with good information regarding F&E.

The ME series has great info and really and truly is the best book.

Good luck!!

maolin · Feb 2, 2006

You'll get the hang of it - you're doing the right thing in getting it down now, because it never goes away. Unfortunately, there aren't a whole lot of tricks, bottom line is just memorize and study repeatedly.

1 tip I can offer you is to remember that Ca & Mg act like sedatives, so if you have HYPER, you have decreased activity (LOC, musculoskeletal, etc). Not enough Ca or Mg (HYPO) means not sedated, easily stimulated, irritable.

HTH. Good luck to you!

RNSuzq1, RN · Feb 2, 2006

I was just wondering if anybody has any good tips for remembering all the information required for this topic?? I have the "made incredibly easy" book, but am having a hard time committing to memory the clinical manifestations. Any suggestions? Does anybody have any good tools/charts/etc?Thanks!S

Hi rn2be, F&E's can be very confusing at first - but once you get a general understanding, it comes a little easier. I think once you understand acid/base balance and homeostasis, it all falls into place. Normal plasma PH is 7.35-7.45 - anything higher than that is considered base and lower than that is acidic. It's late and this is my simplistic way of putting it - hope it helps. A shift in fluids causing too many hydrogen ions can cause you to have too much CO2 and result in Respiratory Acidosis - your respirations will increase to try and blow off the excess CO2. The lungs of people with COPD are compromised, aren't able to blow off all the CO2 and the reason they usually stay in some form of Respiratory Acidosis - they never get rid of all the CO2 and never get enough O2 to satisfy their bodies - which results in them being tired and worn out most of the time.

When you hyperventilate - you put your body in a state of Respiratory Alkalosis - you are breathing so fast and heavy that all of the CO2 is gone and you are left with only O2 - the reason you become faint and light headed during a panic attack. I've always heard that one of the best "cures" for hyperventilating is to take slow deep breaths into a paper bag (you are re-breathing the CO2 that your lungs are expelling and in doing so - putting your body back into homeostasis. I hated Chemistry until I started Nursing School - now I love it, it's fascinating and I'm always trying to learn more about it. There is so much more to F&E's and acid/base balance, but I hope in some small way this helps with the respiratory part of it. Sue

66F · Feb 2, 2006

I was just wondering if anybody has any good tips for remembering all the information required for this topic?? I have the "made incredibly easy" book, but am having a hard time committing to memory the clinical manifestations. Any suggestions? Does anybody have any good tools/charts/etc?
Thanks!
S

Start simple:

Respiratory Acidosis - underventilating for some reason

Respiratory Alkalosis - overventilating for some reason

Metabolic Acidosis - ingested acid (i.e aspirin o.d.) or excreted bicarb (i.e severe diarrhea) for some reason

Metabolic Alkalosis - ingested excess bicarbonate substance or lost HCl (i.e. vomiting)

I would put each of these on a piece of paper and write out all the things you can think of that could cause each (I know you will retain it that way)

Next (after you feel comfortable with the causes), look at how ions affect nerve transmission/membrane potential and try and link how an excess or lack of a certain ion speeds or slows nerve conduction which ultimately is responsible for the secondary effects. (i.e. cardiac irritability, respiratory depresion, etc.)

As for fluids, I would research tonicity (hyper, iso, hypo) and how tonicity effects cells and that would be a good starting point.

I am a visual learner and like pictures, use google images and search these topics for diagrams, a picture can say alot without a person getting lost in the type of a book.

JMO,

66F