1. Acids, Bases, and Buffers Flashcards
What percent of our body is water?
About 60%
What are the two fluid compartments in the body?
- Intracellular fluid
2. Extracellular fluid
Extracellular fluid is comprised of what two parts?
- Plamsa
2. Interstitial fluid (IF)
Do overweight patients have more or less body water percent than underweight patients?
Less, fat has very little water associated with it. A higher fat content correlates to a lower body water percent.
Why do infants have a relative high body water percent?
Most infants have very little fat. Therefore most of their tissue is associated with water.
Why do females have a lower body water percent than men?
Men, on average, have a higher percent of body muscle mass. Muscle carries a great deal of water.
What is the result of a negative water balance?
Dehydration
What are 4 causes of dehydration?
- Profuse sweating
- Prolonged diarrhea
- Severe burns
- Impaired kidney functions
Why can profuse sweating lead to dehydration?
Excess loss of water without adequate fluid replacement.
Why can diarrhea lead to dehydration?
Excessive loss of water without adequate fluid replacement.
Why can severe burns lead to dehydration?
Skin helps to keeps fluids inside the body and prevent excessive evaporation. Severe burns can lead to excessive fluid loss.
Why can impaired kidney function lead to dehydration?
One of the kidney’s functions is to reabsorb water after it has been filtered out. If this is impaired it can result in excessive urination and water loss.
What are 5 symptoms and signs of dehydration?
- Cottonmouth
- Dry flushed skin
- Mental confusion
- Fever
- Thirst
How can GI problems lead to dehydration?
We secrete 8-10 L/day of water in the intestinal lumen. Much of that is normally reabsorbed but this can be hindered, resulting is diarrhea and excessive water loss.
What are 3 causes for inadequate water intake?
- Comatose patients - cannot swallow
- Loss of appetite
- Cerebral injuries that cause a lost of thirst
Why do diabetic patients sometimes become dehydrated?
High levels of solutes (ketone bodies and glucose) in urine lead to osmotic diuresis.
What is osmotic diuresis?
High levels of solutes excreted in the urine cause a decrease in osmotic pressure in the urine. This causes more water to be excreted into the urine.
What is overhydration?
When body takes in more water than it excretes.
What is hyponatremia?
A low concentration of sodium in the body.
Why is overhydration dangerous to patients.
It can lead to a dilution of electrolytes in the body. Biological chemistry is interrupted.
What is the usual cause of overhydration?
Renal insufficiency. The kidney to not filter and excrete enough water to meet the amount that is entering the body.
What can be the results of overhydration?
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Cerebral edema
- Convulsions
- Coma
- Death
What is edema?
An excessive accumulation of fluid in interstitial space.
What are the two mechanisms that cause edema?
- An increase in flow of fluids out of the bloodstream.
2. A decrease in the return of fluids to the bloodstream.
How does increased blood pressure lead to edema?
Higher blood pressure pushes water out of the vasculature and into the interstitial space.
