Fluids/Electrolytes Flashcards
Percentage of the body that is fat, protein, and water
protein = 18%
Fat = 16%
Water = 60%
distribution of body water

Solute
substance dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent. The concentration of a solute in a solution is a measure of how much of that solute is dissolved in the solvent
osmosis
- water flows across the membrane to equalize the concentrations
- Osmosis is the spontaneous net movement of solvent molecules through a semi-permeable membrane into a region of higher solute concentration,
osmolarity
- the total number of moles of solutes per liter of solution
- Salts (mainly Na, Cl)
- Urea nitrogen (BUN)
- Glucose
- Others (small contribution)
- Whereas osmolality (with an “ℓ”) is a measure of the osmoles (Osm) of solute per kilogram of solvent (osmol/kg or Osm/kg), osmolarity (with an “r”) is defined as the number of osmoles of solute per liter (L) of solution (osmol/L or Osm/L
estimated serum osmolarity
- normal ≈ 290 mOsm/L
- This version is essentially identical as it just includes conversion factors to convert mg/dl to mmol/l
tonicity
- the total number of moles of solutes per liter of solution that can exert an osmotic force across a cell membrane
- tonicity - ability of an extracellular solution to make water move in or out of a cell
- What is it going to do to the water across the membrane? (draw the fluid or push the fluid)
- The number of osms will affect where the water goes

Types of IV fluids

crystalloid vs colloid
- Crystalloid solutions—IV fluids containing varying concentrations of electrolytes.
- Colloid solutions—IV fluids containing large proteins and molecules that tend to stay within the vascular space (blood vessels).
hypotonic solution
- D5W & 1/2NS (0.45%)
- Designed to treat intracellular dehydration - more water less solutes
- Example: hypernatremia or DKA
- more solutes inside the cell so it is going to pull water into the cell - rehydrating the cell
- A carbohydrate solution that uses glucose as the solute dissolved in sterile water.
- Packed as an isotonic solution but becomes hypotonic once in the body because the glucose is metabolized rapidly by the body’s cells
Isotonic solution
- NS (0.9%), Lactated Ringer and Plasmalyte
- Used to replace extrcellular fluid volume - balanced water and solutes
- Examples: blood loss, surgery, dehydration
Hypertonic solution
- 3% Saline, D10W, D5Win ½ NS
- Designed to replace extracellular solutes - draws water out of the cell - more solutes less water
- Example: hyponatremia
- cells are bloated and this high solute solution will draw water out of the cells
- Na+ outside of the cell # decreased so fluid shifts to the inside of the cells - bloating them
IV fluids that remain in the blood vessels/plasma space
- Colloids are often based on crystalloid solutions, thus containing water and electrolytes, but have the added component of a colloidal substance that does not freely diffuse across a semipermeable membrane

colloids
- Albumin- Replace low blood protien, shifts fluid into blood vessels to treat shock after trauma, burns, surgery
- Dextran- glucose polysaccharide - adjunctive treatment of shock or impending shock due to hemorrhage, burns, surgery or other trauma
- FFP- replaces plasma coags after trauma or to reverse anticoagulation
- PRBCs- Red blood cells that have been separated. Used to treat anemia that is symptomatic or HGB less than 7-8 (6).
- Cant give FFP really if they are on NOACs, but can give if they are on warfarin
Medical decision-making on fluids
- Is your patient stable?
- What are you replacing?
- Blood
- Metabolic losses (sweating, breathing)
- GI losses (vomiting, diarrhea)
- “Third-spacing” (interstitial edema, ascites, burns)
- Losses from diuretics, renal disorders, etc.
- How much do they need?
- Generic for unstable pt: 1-2L
- If you give 2L and theyre not getting better, you need to go down a different road
how to assess volume status
- Vital signs:
- HR
- BP
- Orthostatics
- Exam:
- JVD
- Skin turgor
- Mental status
- US:
- B lines/IVC
- Labs:
- Electrolytes
- CBC - Increased HCT
severity of dehydration based on % of body weight lost

how fast to run the fluids
- Considerations:
- Patient in shock
- Dehydrated but stable patient
- Patient with CHF or renal failure who may be volume overloaded
- Maintenance fluids
- Neuro damage
- CHF or renal failure – you have someone whos septic but they have CHF and you don’t want to make one condition worse by treating the other condition
Maintenance fluids (adults)
- To replace normal daily losses
- Urine, sweat, breathing, stool
- 70-kg adult loses about 2500-3000 mL/day
- 100-125 mL/hr
Maintenance fluids (children)
- 4-2-1 Rule
- Use the Broselow Tape!
- Weight and length (M2)
- Use Broselow tape
- 15mg kiddo – 50mL/h
- 4ccfluid per Kg per hour for first 20 kg

Rule of thumb in a volume depleted patient
- start with 10-15 mL/kg bolus then reassess
Burns are special: Parkland formula

what about the pH
- Hypoperfusion leads to metabolic acidosis
- GI tract fluid losses also affect pH:
- Vomiting: lose H+ (alkalosis)
- Diarrhea: lose HCO3- (acidosis)
- Distribution of K+ depends on pH
- Organ function is affected by abnormal pH
- Long story short- when the cells don’t get enough O2 they can’t break down glucose completly and puruvate is formed which is converted to lactate.
- Most cells in the body normally metabolize glucose to form water and carbon dioxide in a two-step process. First, glucose is broken down to pyruvate through glycolysis. Then, mitochondria oxidize the pyruvate into water and carbon dioxide by means of the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. This second step requires oxygen. The net result is ATP, the energy carrier used by the cell for metabolic activities and to perform work, such as muscle contraction. When the energy in ATP is used during cell work via ATP hydrolysis, hydrogen ions, (positively charged protons) are released. The mitochondria normally incorporate these free hydrogen nuclei back into ATP, thus preventing buildup of unbound hydrogen cations, and maintaining neutral pH.[citation needed]
- If oxygen supply is inadequate (hypoxia), the mitochondria are unable to continue ATP synthesis at a rate sufficient to supply the cell with the required ATP. In this situation, glycolysis is increased to provide additional ATP, and the excess pyruvate produced is converted into lactate and released from the cell into the bloodstream, where it accumulates over time. While increased glycolysis helps compensate for less ATP from oxidative phosphorylation, it cannot bind the hydrogen cations that result from ATP hydrolysis. Therefore, hydrogen cation concentration rises and causes acidosis.[7]
- The excess hydrogen cations produced during lactic acidosis are widely believed to actually derive from production of lactic acid. This is incorrect , as cells do not produce lactic acid; pyruvate is converted directly into lactate, the anionic form of lactic acid.
- Rule of thumb: restore plasma volume first
- Mother Nature often takes care of the pH
- Virtually never need to give H+ in alkalosis
- Rarely need to give HCO3- in acidosis
Causes of non-focal ALOC
- ITS COMA!
- Infection
- (e.g. meningitis, encephalitis)
- Trauma
- Seizures
- CVA (stroke)
- Overdose (tox), opioids
- Metabolic
- e.g. hypoglycemia, hyponatremia
- Alcohol
- Not infection, trauma, stroke, OD, or alcohol
- THIS IS A METABOLIC PROBLEM

