Electrolyte Balance (dilini)

Question 1

What can affect the balance of electrolytes?

Answer 1

Diet, renal function, diarrhoea, vomiting, polyuria, cell damage.

Question 2

What is the major cation in extracellular fluid?

Answer 2

Sodium (Na+)

Question 3

What is the primary cation in intracellular fluid?

Answer 3

Potassium (K+)

Question 4

What is the primary extracellular anion?

Answer 4

Chloride (Cl-)

Question 5

Is Magnesium mostly intra or extracellular?

Answer 5

Mostly intracellular

Question 6

Is serum sodium a good indicator of total body sodium?

Answer 6

Yes because it is mainly extracellular.

Question 7

Is serum potassium a good indicator of total body potassium?

Answer 7

No, because it is mostly intracellular.

Question 8

How is sodium regulated?

Answer 8

By the kidneys, through the action of aldosterone.

Question 9

What is hypernatraemia and what might cause it?

Answer 9

Increased sodium in the blood.

May be absolute due to sodium gain, relative due to water loss or rarely due to hyperaldosteonism.

Question 10

What is hyponatraemia and what might cause it?

Answer 10

decreased dietary intake, excessive loss, osmotic diuresis

Question 11

What is hyperkalemia and what might cause it?

Answer 11

Increased potassium in the blood.
Oliguric/anuric renal disease, hypoadrenocorticism, oversupplementation, metabolic acidosis (extracellular shift), insulin lack, massive cellular necrosis.

Question 12

What is hypokalemia and what might cause it?

Answer 12

Decreased intake, increased loss (vomiting, diarrhoea, polyuric renal disease), primary hyperaldosterinism, insulin therapy, metabolic alkylosis.

Question 13

How is potassium regulated?

Answer 13

The action of aldosterone in the kidneys.

Question 14

How is chloride regulated?

Answer 14

In the kidneys, passively with sodium and actively in the Loop of Henle. Changes will usually parallel that of sodium.

Question 15

What might cause hyperchloraemia?

Answer 15

Water loss, proximal tubular acidosis.

Question 16

What might cause hypochloraemia?

Answer 16

anorexia, abomasal disorder, upper GI obstruction, overhydration.

Question 17

What are the 3 forms of calcium in the body?

Answer 17

Free (ionized) - 50%
Anion bound (albumin & globulin) - 40-45%
Bound to non-protein anoins - 5-10%

Question 18

In relation to the causes of hypercalcaemia, what does HOGINYARD stand for?

Answer 18

Hyperparathyroidism, Osteo, Granulomatous disease, Idiopathic, Neoplasia, Young animals, Addisons, Renal disease, vitamin D toxicity

Question 19

What might be the causes of hypocalcaemia?

Answer 19

diet, primary hypoparathyroidism, pancreatitis, ethylene glycol (antifreeze) toxicity, malabsorption, hypovitaminosis

Question 20

What might cause hyperphosphataemia?

Answer 20

decreased GFR, increased absorption from the intestines, young growing animals, shift from ICF to ECF (myopathies, acute tumor lysis syndrome).

Question 21

What might cause hypophosphataemia?

Answer 21

increased urinary excretion (increase PTH activity, prolongd diurresis, fanconi syndrome), decreased intestinal absorption, shift from EFC to ICF (hyperinsulinism, glucose infusion), defective mobilisation from bone, equine renal failure

Question 22

What are electrolytes and what is their balance important for?

Answer 22

Charged ions of various chemicals.
Important for body hydration and water balance, acid base balance, functioning of enzyme systems and neuromuscular function.

Question 23

What is creatine kinase and where is the highest amount in the body?

Answer 23

Serum enzyme of muscle origin.

Highest amount in skeletal muscle.

Question 24

What would cause a mild increase in creatine kinase?

Answer 24

Venipuncture & handling, anorexic cats

Question 25

What would cause a severe increase in creatine kinase?

Answer 25

recumbent large animals, exertional rhabdomyolysis in horses, trauma, inflammatory/necrotic muscle diseases, toxins

Question 26

What might cause hyperalbuminemia?

Answer 26

Dehydration, glucocorticoids.

Question 27

What might cause hypoalbuminemia?

Answer 27

Decreased synthesis (inflammtion, hepatic insufficiency, malabsorption), increased loss (bloos loss, protein losing nephropathy / enteropathy / dermatopathy), hemodilution.

Question 28

What might cause hyperglobulinemia?

Answer 28

inflammation, hemoconcentration, b lymphocyte neoplasia / multiple myeloma

Question 29

What might cause cholesterol to increase?

Answer 29

after eating, cholestasis, pancreatitis, hypothyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism, diabetes mellitus, protein losing nephropathy

Question 30

What might cause cholesterol to decrease?

Answer 30

Hepatocellular dysfunction, malabsorption, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI)