Question

1. What if the patient is hypervolemic or hypovolemic? If so, what data supports this?
2. What effect do you see on the patient’s vitals from them being hyper or hypovolemic?
3. What illnesses can put a patient at risk for a fluid and electrolyte disturbance? How so?
4. If the patient has Mg, K, or Ca values outside of normal levels, are there any signs and symptoms such as muscle cramps or twitches or an abnormal EKG that may occur?
5. What may be the medical treatments for the patient  to correct either their fluid and/or electrolyte disturbances?
6. Are there any medications that the patient can be on that can disturb their fluid and electrolyte balance? Which ones and how so?
7. How can you see if a fluid or electrolyteimbalance was corrected?
8. What is the nurses’ roles in correcting the fluid/acid base disturbances?
9. What is the definition of dehydration with respect to fluid and electrolytes?
10. 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. Hypovolemia means decrease fluid volume in the body, it is characterized by hypotension, dehydration, fatigue, tachycardia, and confusion.

Hypervolemia is otherwise known as fluid overload, it means an excessive amount of fluid in the body. It is characterized by hypertension, edema, and shortness of breath.

2. In hypovolemia the patient heart rate becomes faster, his blood pressure drops and the body temperature is also drops because of less blood volume.

In hypervolemia blood pressure increases due to excess blood volume, there is no significant changes occur in other vital signs due to hypervolemia. But hypervolemia can cause heart failure.

3. Cause of hypovolemia-

- Blood loss due to severe injury

- Severe dehydration

- Severe diarrhea and vomiting

- Diabetic insipidus

Causes of hypervolemia-

- Chronic kidney disease or kidney failure

- Heart failure

- Liver cirrhosis

4. Magnesium

Hypomagnesemia- Twitches in facial muscles, weakness, and tremor, In EKG there is prolonged QTc and ectopic beats.

Hypermagnesemia- Hypotension, muscle weakness, nausea and vomiting, and muscle cramps. In EKG there is tall T, wide QRS, prolonged PR and severe arrhythmia's appears.

Potassium

Hypokalemia- Tingling and numbness, palpitation and EKG show narrow and tall T wave and narrow QT.

Hyperkalemia- Muscle weakness, muscle pain, and cramps, neurological weakness. ECG shows peaked T wave and wide QRS.

Calcium

Hypocalcemia- Muscle spasm, muscle cramps, seizures. ECG shows the lengthen ST segment.

Hypercalcemia- Excessive thirst, frequent urination, confusion, muscle weakness. ECG shows short QT and ST intervals.