Question

You are a nurse in the ICU. Your patient is a 23 year old male who

suffered a concussion and head trauma from a motor vehicle accident.

The patient was stabilized and transferred to the intensive care unit for

observation. During the second day, you notice that the patient had a

large amount of urine output in the last 24 hours – approximately

5000cc. You look in his chart to confirm that he is not on diuretics. Why

is his high urine output a crucial observation, particularly in this

patient’s case?

What major electrolyte imbalance can you expect in the above patient?

What are some possible symptoms that result from this imbalance?

Answer 1

Question

Yes, the high urine output in the last 24 hours is a crucial observation im this pateint. This is because he could be suffering from Diabetes insipidus as head trauma is one of the major cause of diabetes insipidus. The major electrolyte balance that we can see in this patient is of sodium, potassium and calcium. The possible symptoms of this imbalance would be poor kidney health, irregular function of muscle and heart , swelling and pain in face, arm , legs and hands.