Principles of Fluid Therapy (LO7) Flashcards
When giving fluid therapy to patients, always consider the following five questions:
- Why am I giving fluids?
- How will I give fluids?
- What type of fluid will I use?
- How much fluid?
- How will I monitor?
Why am I giving fluids?
Your reasons for giving fluids may include:
- Resuscitation
- Deficit replacement
- Ongoing losses
- Maintenance
How will I give fluids?
- Parenteral – Intravenous
What type of fluid will I use?
- Normal Saline
- Ringers Lactate
- D5W or D10W
How much fluid should I give?
- This will be based on your patient’s clinical presentation.
How will I monitor?
- This will be accomplished through continuous reassessment of your patient and their vital signs.
Electrolytes
, circulate through the body and help to regulate everything from water levels in the body to cardiac activity and muscle contractions
- Electrolytes can either have a negative or positive charge
The major electrolytes found in the body are:
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Bicarbonate
- Chloride
- Phosphorus
Sodium
the principle extracellular cation
required to help regulate the volume of total water as well as the distribution of water throughout the body
important for proper nerve and muscle function
If levels are high it can lead to edema, lethargy, and weakness
If the levels are low, it can result in pulmonary or cerebral edema
Potassium
the principle intracellular cation
establishing resting membrane potential
most dangerous of any electrolyte imbalance
too low can result in decreased skeletal muscle function, GI disturbances, and cardiac arrhythmia.
High levels lead to hyperstimulation of neural cell transmission which may lead to cardiac arrhythmias including cardiac arrest.
Calcium
the principle cation that is required for bone growth.
role in heart muscle function, muscle contraction, nerve transmission, and blood clotting.
Levels that are too low can result in skeletal muscle cramps, abdominal cramps, carpopedal spasms, hypotension, and vasoconstriction.
High levels can result in the patient displaying signs of skeletal muscle weakness, lethargy, ataxia (involuntary lack of coordination or muscle control), cardiac arrhythmia, vasodilation, and flushed skin.
Magnesium
the second most common intracellular cation.
It plays an important role in the metabolism of proteins and carbohydrates.
essential for normal neuromuscular activity, synaptic transmission, and myocardial function.
Low levels may result in the patient presenting with weakness, irritability, tetany, delirium, convulsions, confusion, anorexia, nausea, emesis, and cardiac arrhythmia.
High levels may result in the patient presenting with hypotension, muscular weakness, nausea, vomiting, and altered mental function.
Bicarbonate
the second most prevalent extracellular anion.
It is the primary buffer used in all circulating body fluids.
Bicarbonate levels determine acidosis or alkalosis in the body.
Chloride
the most prevalent anion in extracellular fluid and is strongly linked to sodium.
o if sodium is either retained or excreted the same action will occur with chloride.
contributes to the formation of stomach acids and helps to regulate fluid balance and pH.
Low levels may result in the patient presenting with muscle spasms, metabolic acidosis, shallow respiration, hypotension, and tetany.
High levels may result in the patient presenting with lethargy, weakness, metabolic acidosis, and rapid, deep breathing.
Phosphorus
important component in adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is a source of energy for the body
Fluid and Electrolyte Movement
- Water and electrolytes move within the body according to the principle of balance
- When the concentration of charge or compounds are greater on one side of the cell membrane, a gradient is created
- The tendency is for materials to move from areas of higher concentration to areas of lower concentration in an attempt to balance things out
There are different means of movement within the body:
- Diffusion
- Facilitated Diffusion
- Osmosis
- Active Transport
- Filtration
Diffusion
- the passive movement of solute from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.
- If it is classed as simple diffusion, it occurs without the help of membrane transport proteins.
- The movement of oxygen is classed as simple diffusion.
Facilitated Diffusion
- Facilitated diffusion is a type of passive diffusion that requires assistance of an integral membrane protein to move a solute across the membrane when it is too highly charged to cross alone.
- It can be either channel mediated facilitated diffusion as is with the movement of potassium or it may be carrier mediated facilitated diffusion as is with glucose across the plasma membrane.
Osmosis
- Osmosis is a form of diffusion that involves the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane.
- The water moves from the side with the lesser number of particles and greater concentration of water, to the side of the membrane with the greater number of particles and lesser concentration of water.
Active Transport
- Active transport is not a passive process as it requires energy to occur.
- When a solute must move against its concentration gradient (from lower to higher), they cannot do this alone.
- The primary source of energy is adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
- An example of active transport is the sodium-potassium pump.
Filtration
- Filtration is the passage of materials through a membrane by a physical force such as gravity.
- In the body filtration is also achieved by means of a physical pump, the heart, which effects the rate of filtration by effecting the pressure of the blood through the blood vessels.
Intravenous Solutions
When choosing the fluid to administer, it is important to know the type of fluid it is and the effect it has on the body.
There are 5 basic types of IV fluid:
- Isotonic
- Hypotonic
- Hypertonic
- Crystalloid
- Colloid
Isotonic Solution
- has the same concentration of solute as serum and bodily fluids.
- will not cause the cells to either swell or shrink
- works by expanding the contents of intravascular space without shifting fluid to or from other compartments
- Examples of isotonic solutions
normal saline and lactated ringers.
Hypotonic Solution
- has a concentration of solute less than that of serum which results in a fluid shift
- Since the concentration of solute is less than that of the interstitial fluid, hypotonic fluid placed in the intravascular space causes fluid to move from the vascular compartment into the interstitial compartment.
- causes cells to swell and possibly burst.
- work to hydrate the cells while depleting intravascular compartments.
- should not be used for fluid replacement but rather to maintain a lifeline.
example of a hypotonic solution
D5W once administered
Hypertonic Solution
- has a concentration of solute greater than that of serum which results in a fluid shift.
- Since the concentration of solute is greater than that of the interstitial fluid, hypertonic solution placed in the intravascular space causes fluid to move from the interstitial and intracellular compartments to the vascular compartment.
- causes cells to shrink and possibly collapse.
- Hypertonic solutions work to help stabilize blood pressure, increase urine output, and reduce edema.
- These types of fluid are rarely used prehospital.