1. Acids, Bases, and Buffers

Question 1

What percent of our body is water?

Answer 1

About 60%

Question 2

What are the two fluid compartments in the body?

Answer 2

1. Intracellular fluid

2. Extracellular fluid

Question 3

Extracellular fluid is comprised of what two parts?

Answer 3

1. Plamsa

2. Interstitial fluid (IF)

Question 4

Do overweight patients have more or less body water percent than underweight patients?

Answer 4

Less, fat has very little water associated with it. A higher fat content correlates to a lower body water percent.

Question 5

Why do infants have a relative high body water percent?

Answer 5

Most infants have very little fat. Therefore most of their tissue is associated with water.

Question 6

Why do females have a lower body water percent than men?

Answer 6

Men, on average, have a higher percent of body muscle mass. Muscle carries a great deal of water.

Question 7

What is the result of a negative water balance?

Answer 7

Dehydration

Question 8

What are 4 causes of dehydration?

Answer 8

1. Profuse sweating
2. Prolonged diarrhea
3. Severe burns
4. Impaired kidney functions

Question 9

Why can profuse sweating lead to dehydration?

Answer 9

Excess loss of water without adequate fluid replacement.

Question 10

Why can diarrhea lead to dehydration?

Answer 10

Excessive loss of water without adequate fluid replacement.

Question 11

Why can severe burns lead to dehydration?

Answer 11

Skin helps to keeps fluids inside the body and prevent excessive evaporation. Severe burns can lead to excessive fluid loss.

Question 12

Why can impaired kidney function lead to dehydration?

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

What are 5 symptoms and signs of dehydration?

Answer 13

1. Cottonmouth
2. Dry flushed skin
3. Mental confusion
4. Fever
5. Thirst

Question 14

How can GI problems lead to dehydration?

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

What are 3 causes for inadequate water intake?

Answer 15

1. Comatose patients - cannot swallow
2. Loss of appetite
3. Cerebral injuries that cause a lost of thirst

Question 16

Why do diabetic patients sometimes become dehydrated?

Answer 16

High levels of solutes (ketone bodies and glucose) in urine lead to osmotic diuresis.

Question 17

What is osmotic diuresis?

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

What is overhydration?

Answer 18

When body takes in more water than it excretes.

Question 19

What is hyponatremia?

Answer 19

A low concentration of sodium in the body.

Question 20

Why is overhydration dangerous to patients.

Answer 20

It can lead to a dilution of electrolytes in the body. Biological chemistry is interrupted.

Question 21

What is the usual cause of overhydration?

Answer 21

Renal insufficiency. The kidney to not filter and excrete enough water to meet the amount that is entering the body.

Question 22

What can be the results of overhydration?

Answer 22

1. Nausea
2. Vomiting
3. Cerebral edema
4. Convulsions
5. Coma
6. Death

Question 23

What is edema?

Answer 23

An excessive accumulation of fluid in interstitial space.

Question 24

What are the two mechanisms that cause edema?

Answer 24

1. An increase in flow of fluids out of the bloodstream.

2. A decrease in the return of fluids to the bloodstream.

Question 25

How does increased blood pressure lead to edema?

Answer 25

Higher blood pressure pushes water out of the vasculature and into the interstitial space.