Question

1) What may be the medical treatments for the patient to correct either their fluid and/or electrolyte disturbances? Are there any medications that the patient can be on that can disturb their fluid and electrolyte balance? Which ones and how so? How can you see if a fluid or electrolyteimbalance was corrected? What is the nurses’ roles in correcting the fluid/acid base disturbances? What is the definition of dehydration with respect to fluid and electrolytes? If the patient is dehydrated what clinical manifestations will they exhibit? (Think through all of the body systems you assess for in your head to toe, how would dehydration affect each of those body systems? .

Answer 1

1. Any deviation between the normal level of fluid and electrolytes can be life threatning and hence should not be taken easily. Treatments which involve in fluid and electrolytes imbalance involves : following are the two most electrolytes imbalance which patient comes with.

• For a minor deviation making a small changes in the diet can improve the imbalance.
• Hypokalemia is a condition in which the potassium level in the body decreases, it can be corrected with inj. potassium chloride diluted in a ringers lactate. Similarly, hyperkalemia is a condition in which the potassium level in the body increases is treated with a glucose insulin drip.
• Hyponatremia is a condition in which the sodium level in the body is increased and is treated with nornal saline drip.

2. Yes, there are medications which can disturb the fluid and electrolytes balance such as Tablet lasix helps to elimate the water and salt from the body, Tablet Tolvaptan will cause the level of sodium to increase in the body, similarly, Inj. fosfomycin will increase the level of sodium in the body.

3. If the fluid and electrolyte imbalance is corrected, the symptoms also reduces such as edema in the leg, confusion due to hyponatremia, muscle pain reduces, weakness and fatigue reduces. In addition the renal or kidney funtion test will show normal levels of electrolytes in the body.

4. Nurses play an important role in providing care to the patients with fluid and electrolytes imbalance such as ,

• Proper assessment of the patient.
• Identifying signs and symptoms of dehydration.
• Administering medications and fluids.
• Maintaining hydration of patient.
• Sending the blood samples of patient to rule out the correction of elctrolytes imbalance.
• Documenting.