Need Help With Electrolytes!

[Vaporize]

I am a nursing student. I keep getting asked everyday by this nurse at a hospital about how much an electrolyte level will go up if it is replaced. I know that for potassium every 10 mEq of KCL = 0.1 mEq of potassium in the body. But she also wants to know about 1 gram of magnesium sulfate and calcium chloride/carbonate? I tried googaling for an 1 1/2 hour with no luck. Any help appreciated. Thanks.

[Smokey9283]

Is this nurse a instructor? If not then it sounds like she is picking on you. I would think that if she is senior nurse then she should try to help you by helping you figure out the equation. I don't know the answer, but you have me intrigued so I will try to do some research to.

[Smokey9283]

I'm sorry, but after looking in a PDR, Nursing Drug guide, some nursing reference books and on micromedex I haven't been able to answer your question. Good luck.

[ICRN2008, BSN, RN]

I would ask one of the medical students if they have this information in their text book, or try to find some medical books at the library. Nursing books tend not to go into this much depth.

[TiredMD]

I'm not aware of any rule for Calcium and Magnessium, and a quick look through my hospital handbooks doesn't show one either.

Really, it's all just voodoo. There are multiple stores of the various electrolytes in a number of organs/tissues all of which influence each other, and you cannot really address what your threrapy is actually doing unless you understand why the levels were abnormal in the first place. Even then, much of your doses are determined empirically, adjusted to the patient's previous response to therapy.

Since most electrolyte disturbances are asymptomatic, I generally dose replacement based on my mood. If I'm grumpy, I give 2g. If I'm in a good mood, I give 1g and recheck. I never treat asymptomatic hypocalcemia. Everyone has their style, based on where they trained.

Of course, when they're symptomatic, it's a whole different story, and requires a whole workup and replacement protocol (which can be found in most Internal Medicine books).

[MassED, BSN, RN]

If this nurse is just a nurse out there quizzing you - tell her or him you don't know, if you do not. Ask where she learned the answer, or where to go for the resource. I wouldn't know that off hand either...this might help:

http://www.ispub.com/ostia/index.php?xmlFilePath=journals/ijim/vol5n1/electrolytes.xml

[MassED, BSN, RN]

I'm not aware of any rule for Calcium and Magnessium, and a quick look through my hospital handbooks doesn't show one either.

Really, it's all just voodoo. There are multiple stores of the various electrolytes in a number of organs/tissues all of which influence each other, and you cannot really address what your threrapy is actually doing unless you understand why the levels were abnormal in the first place. Even then, much of your doses are determined empirically, adjusted to the patient's previous response to therapy.

Since most electrolyte disturbances are asymptomatic, I generally dose replacement based on my mood. If I'm grumpy, I give 2g. If I'm in a good mood, I give 1g and recheck. I never treat asymptomatic hypocalcemia. Everyone has their style, based on where they trained.

Of course, when they're symptomatic, it's a whole different story, and requires a whole workup and replacement protocol (which can be found in most Internal Medicine books).

totally :offtopic: but why would a MD want to go to a nursing forum.... ? are there MD forums out there? I'm going to look into that... allmdforums.... :)

and I have found something: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/

[Ima Nurse]

I thought TiredMD's post was helpful to the OP. I see posters who aren't even healthcare workers posting and they are welcomed.

[MassED, BSN, RN]

I thought TiredMD's post was helpful to the OP. I see posters who aren't even healthcare workers posting and they are welcomed.

I wrote "off topic" didn't say not welcomed or whatever.. just W O N D E R I N G

[MassED, BSN, RN]

I thought TiredMD's post was helpful to the OP. I see posters who aren't even healthcare workers posting and they are welcomed.

and perhaps tiredMD feels more invigorated being at a nurses forum... which is why, again, I wondered....

[Vaporize]

Thanks for all the replies. The nurse thats asking me this isnt even my instructor. She is just a nurse that works there. But she is getting on my nerves. Everytime I see her its the same question over and over again. This is atleast the 6th time. She says she is senior to me and that it looks bad on me if I dont give her an answer and she does this infront of my peers. I dont know whether to keep ignoring her or reporting her.

[GilaRRT]

Cannot say I have a problem with other providers on this forum. One thing about an all exclusive forum is the fact that we may tend to look at a topic through myopic eyes. It is nice to have other points of view and input from other professionals. This is true even when they disagree with the majority on a specific topic. The best discussion and debate is born out of different views.