fluid balance and electrolytes Flashcards
what percentage of the body weight of an adult is made up of water?
50-70%
what are the major fluid compartments of the body, and what percentage of fluid do they contain?
intracellular fluid (ICF) - two thirds
extracellular fluid (ECF) - one third
how is the ECF further compartmentalised?
what percentage of the ECF does each comprise?
interstitial fluid - 80% of ESF intravascular fluid (plasma)- 20% of ESF
what is the ICF mostly comprised of?
cytoplasm water electrolytes (mostly K+ and Mg+) proteins waste products
what is interstitial fluid mostly comprised of?
water electrolytes (mostly Na+, Cl- and HCO3-) amino acids hormones neurotransmitters lymph waste products
what is interstitial fluid?
fluid which bathes or surrounds the cells
what is intravascular fluid mostly comprised of?
water electrolytes/ions proteins whole blood (Plasma, RBCs, WBCs) glucose clotting factors hormones CO2/O2
normal serum levels for sodium?
135-145 mEq/L
normal serum levels for potassium?
3.5-5 mEq/L
normal serum levels for magnesium?
1.5-2 mEq/L
normal serum levels for chloride?
98-110 mEq/L
normal serum levels for bicarbonate?
22-28 mEq/L
normal serum levels for calcium?
2-2.5 mmol/L
what is hydrostatic pressure?
the pressure exerted by fluids, such as blood and tissue fluid, against the walls of the capillaries/blood vessels
what is oncotic pressure?
the pressure exerted by proteins (mostly albumin) to pull fluid back into the vessels
what is the source of hydrostatic pressure?
the pumping action of the heart
what is another name for osmotic pressure?
colloid osmotic pressure
what else apart from hydrostatic pressure and oncotic pressure will affect fluid movement between compartments?
osmotic gradient
what provides an osmotic gradient, which drives the shift of water between compartments?
solutes – electrolytes (charged particles) and other molecules (proteins, glucose, lipids)
why does the osmotic gradient affect fluid movement between compartments?
water is the only substance which can easily cross the blood vessel endothelial wall (semi-permeable membrane) so osmosis will shift fluids acording to solute concentration
what is osmolarity?
what is it measured in?
the measure of solute concentration within a solution
mOsm/L
what does increased serum osmolarity mean?
an increase in concentrations in solutes in the blood - this means the patient is dehydrated and may need fluid replacement
what is tonicity?
the relative concentration of solutes in two fluids, aka the ability of an extracellular solution to make water move into or out of a cell by osmosis