Lab Values Flashcards
Serum Potassium Normal Levels?
3.5 to 5.0 mEq/L
HypoKalemia (Serum Potassium Low levels)?
lower than 3.5 mEq
Potassium Deficit
Potassium Common Food Sources?
Potatoes or Pork Oranges Tomatoes Avocado Strawberries Spinach I (Fish) U (Mushrooms) Melon (Cantelope)
**Bananas, Rasins, Veal, Carrots
How Can potassium be administered?
- Never IV push, IM or SQ
- Must be diluted and administered using an infusion device
- Can cause phlebitis, monitoring closely for infiltration. Stop immediately.
HyperKalemia (Serum Potassium High Levels)?
Exceeds 5.0 mEq
What is pseudohyperkalemia?
A condition that can occur due to methods of blood specimen collection and cell lysis. (no clinical symptoms) redraw and evaluate.
HypoKalemia Cardiac Monitoring Changes?
Electrocardiogram changes:
- ST depression
- Shallow, flat or inverted T waves
- Prominent U wave
HyperKalemia Cardiac Monitoring Changes?
Electrocardiogram changes:
- Tall peaked T waves
- Flat P waves
- Widened QRS complexes
- Prolonged PR intervals
Hypocalcaemia Cardiac Monitoring Changes?
- Prolonged ST Segment
* Prolonged QT Segment
Hyperkalemia Cardiac Monitoring Changes?
- Shortened ST segment
* Widened T wave
Hypomagnesmia Cardiac Monitoring Changes?
- Tall T waves
* Depressed St segment
Hypermagnesemia Cardiac Monitoring Changes?
- Prolonged PR interval
* Widened QRS complexes
Hypokalemia Cardiovascular changes?
- Thready, weak, irregular pulse
- Weak Peripheral pulses
- Orthostatic hypotension
Hypokalemia Respiratory Changes?
- Shallow, ineffective respirations that result from profound weakness of the skeletal muscles of respirations
- Diminished breath sounds
Hypokalemia Neuromuscular Changes?
- Anxiety, Lethargy, confusion, coma
- Skeletal muscle weakness, leg cramps
- Loss off tactile discrimination
- Paresthesias
- Deep tendon hyporeflexia
Hypokalemia Gastrointestinal Changes?
- Decreased motility, hypoactive to absent bowel sounds
- Nausea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal distention
- Paralytic ileus
What is fluid volume deficit?
Dehydration occurs when fluid intake of the body is not sufficient.
What treatment is used for fluid volume deficit?
restore fluid volume, replace electrolytes, eliminate the cause of the fluid deficit
What are the types of fluid volume deficit?
- Isotonic dehydration
- Hypertonic dehydration
- Hypotonic dehydration
Isotonic dehydrations is also known as?
- Water and dissolved electrolytes are lost in equal proportions
- hypovolemia (most common of all dehydration)
- decrease in circulating blood volume and inadequate tissue perfusion
What are the causes of Isotonic dehydration?
- Inadequate intake of fluids and solutes
- Fluid shits between compartments
- Excessive losses of isotonic body fluids
What is hypertonic dehydration?
- Water loss exceeds electrolyte loss
- Fluid moves from the intracellular compartment into the plasma and interstitial fluid spaces causing cellular dehydration and shrinkage.
What are the causes of Hypertonic dehydration?
*Condition that increase fluid loss= excessive perspiration, hyperventilation, ketoacidosis, prolonged fevers, diarrhea, early stage kidney disease, and diabetes insipidus
What is Hypotonic dehydration?
- Electrolyte loss exceeds water loss
- Fluid shifts between compartments causing a decrease in plasma volume
- Fluid moves from plasma into cell causing plasma volume deficit and causing the cell to swell
What are the causes of Hypotonic dehydration?
- Chronic illness
- Excessive fluid replacement (hypotonic)
- Kidney disease
- Chronic malnutrition`
List the Fluid volume deficit cardiovascular assessment findings:
- Thready increased pulse rate
- Decreased b/p and orthostatic (postural) hypotension
- Flat neck and hand veins in dependent positions
- Diminished peripheral pulses
- Decreased central venous pressure
- Dysrhythmias
List the Fluid volume deficit Respiratory assessment findings:
- Increased rate and depth of respirations
* Dyspnea
List the Fluid volume deficit Neuromuscular assessment findings:
- Decreased central nervous system activity from lethargy to coma
- Fever, depending on the amount of fluid loss
- Skeletal muscle weakness
List the Fluid volume deficit Renal assessment findings:
*Decreased urine output
List the Fluid volume deficit Integumentary assessment findings:
- Dry skin
- Poor turgor, tenting
- Dry mouth
List the Fluid volume deficit gastrointestinal assessment findings:
- Decreased GI motility and diminished bowel sounds
- Constipation
- Thirst
- Decreased body weight
List the Fluid volume deficit Laboratory assessment findings:
- Increased serum osmolality
- Increased hematocrit
- Increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level
- Increased serum sodium level
- Increased urinary specific gravity
Which population should be monitored closely for fluid imbalance?
- Infants
* Older adults
A patient with diarrhea is at risk for?
Fluid and electrolyte imbalance
What are some interventions for Fluid volume deficit?
- Monitor cardiovascular, respiratory, neuromuscular, renal, integumentary, and GI status
- Prevent further fluid loss, and increase fluid compartment volumes
- Oral rehydration
- IV fluid replacement (if dehydration is severe)
- Treat with Isotonic fluid solutions
- Monitor electrolyte values
Which medications are used to treat Fluid volume deficit?
- Antidiarrheal
- Antimicrobial
- Antiemetic’s
- Antipyretic
