©THESTAR EXAM SOLUTIONS 2024/2025
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Unit 4- Fluid and electrolyte balance. Exam
Questions With Verified And Updated
Answers
Body fluids comprise __% of an infant's weight and __% of a child or adolescent's weight. -
answer✔65-80
50
Why do children lose more fluid than adults? - answer✔Lose a lot of fluid breathing because
they have higher respriations
Takes more fluid to metabolize and go through daily activity
They are not able to store excess fluid, they lose it
Children have more intracellular/extracellular fluid before 1 year than when they get older. -
answer✔extracellular
What are isotonic solutions ordered for? - answer✔volume replacement
replaces body fluid
no shifting
What are examples of isotonic solutions? - answer✔0.9% NaCl, Lactated Ringer's, D5 ¼, D5 W
Why are hypotonic solutions ordered? - answer✔It will pull fluid from the vascular bed into the
cells; you are swelling the cells
Who do we not want to give hypotonic solutions to? - answer✔someone at risk of increased ICP
What is an example of a hypotonic solution? - answer✔0.45% NaCl
Why are hypertonic solutions ordered? - answer✔They pull water out of the cells and into the
vascular bed.
Who do you not want to give a hypertonic solution to? - answer✔someone with fluid volume
overload or CHF
1|Page
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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
What is an example of a person in need of a hypotonic solution? - answer✔Someone with
severe edema
What are examples of hypertonic solutions? - answer✔D5 ½ , D5 LR, D10 W, Albumin
When you give 5% Albumin, what type of fluid is it? - answer✔isotonic
When you give 25% Albumin, what type of fluid is it? - answer✔hypertonic
What physiological differences in infants and young child increases their insensible fluid loss? -
answer✔Respiratory rate
Increased body surface area to volume
Higher metabolic rate creates more waste in the form of urine
% of ECF to ICF and usually loose ECF.
Kidneys immature and inefficient in reabsorbing water and concentrating waste
Fever with illness
If there is a decrease in sodium (NA) due to an electrolyte imbalance, what symptoms will you
see? - answer✔fever, sweating, tachypnea, diseases: Gastroenteritis, burns, CF and DKA
If there is an excess of sodium (NA) due to fluid imbalance, what symptoms will you see? -
answer✔excessive intake, insufficient breast milk, high fluid losses-increased temp, high
humidity, hyperventilation, diabetes insipidus, hyperglycemia, renal disease
If there is a decrease in potassium (K) due to fluid imbalance, what might have caused it? -
answer✔starvation (most common), malabsorption, GI losses,diuresis, corticosteroids,
nephrotic syndrome, DKA with IV insulin administration, hyperglycemic diuresis, healing stage
of burns, alkalosis.
What is the most common symptom of low potassium? - answer✔starvation
If there is an excess of potassium (K) due to electrolyte imbalance, what symptoms will you
see? - answer✔renal disease/failure, metabolic acidosis, blood transfusions,use of salt
substitutes, severe dehydration, Addison Disease, burns, crushing injuries.
Normal sodium levels - answer✔136-145 in a child
134-150 in an infant
Normal Potassium levels - answer✔3.4-4.7 in a child
4.1-5.3 in an infant
2|Page
, ©THESTAR EXAM SOLUTIONS 2024/2025
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Why might you see K excess with a patient getting a blood transfusion? - answer✔anytime you
administer blood it comes through and IV canula. Some of the cells burst & potassium, being an
intracellular electrolyte, will leak out.
Why might you see K excess in a patient with a crushing injury? - answer✔The crushing injury
might burst cells and these lysed cells are moved into circulation
What determines the acidity of a fluid? - answer✔The number of hydrogen ions in the fluid. The
more ions, the more acidic. If the ions are low, it will be more alkaline.
What is normal pH? - answer✔7.35-7.45
What is the normal CO2 or HCO3 level? - answer✔21-28
What is the normal level of CO2 or HCO3 in an infant? - answer✔16-24
If a patient is having excessive diarrhea, what acid base imbalance are we worried about? Why?
- answer✔Metabolic acidosis
Losing waste BELOW waist--- losing base, holding acid
If a patient is experiencing excessive vomiting, what acid base imbalance are we worried about?
Why? - answer✔Metabolic alkaloisis
Above waist--- losing acid, holding base
When you see "CO2" it indicates the __ level. - answer✔bicarbonate
May see a serum CO2 or a HCO3.
Metabolic Acidosis will have low/high serum CO2 or a HCO3 and a low/high pH. - answer✔low
low
Metabolic alkalosis will have a low/high serum CO2 or a HCO3 and a low/high pH. -
answer✔high
high
Respiratory Acidosis will have a low/high pH and low/high PaCO2 - answer✔low
high
Respiratory Alkalosis will have a low/high pH and a low/high PaCO2 - answer✔high
low
3|Page
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Unit 4- Fluid and electrolyte balance. Exam
Questions With Verified And Updated
Answers
Body fluids comprise __% of an infant's weight and __% of a child or adolescent's weight. -
answer✔65-80
50
Why do children lose more fluid than adults? - answer✔Lose a lot of fluid breathing because
they have higher respriations
Takes more fluid to metabolize and go through daily activity
They are not able to store excess fluid, they lose it
Children have more intracellular/extracellular fluid before 1 year than when they get older. -
answer✔extracellular
What are isotonic solutions ordered for? - answer✔volume replacement
replaces body fluid
no shifting
What are examples of isotonic solutions? - answer✔0.9% NaCl, Lactated Ringer's, D5 ¼, D5 W
Why are hypotonic solutions ordered? - answer✔It will pull fluid from the vascular bed into the
cells; you are swelling the cells
Who do we not want to give hypotonic solutions to? - answer✔someone at risk of increased ICP
What is an example of a hypotonic solution? - answer✔0.45% NaCl
Why are hypertonic solutions ordered? - answer✔They pull water out of the cells and into the
vascular bed.
Who do you not want to give a hypertonic solution to? - answer✔someone with fluid volume
overload or CHF
1|Page
, ©THESTAR EXAM SOLUTIONS 2024/2025
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
What is an example of a person in need of a hypotonic solution? - answer✔Someone with
severe edema
What are examples of hypertonic solutions? - answer✔D5 ½ , D5 LR, D10 W, Albumin
When you give 5% Albumin, what type of fluid is it? - answer✔isotonic
When you give 25% Albumin, what type of fluid is it? - answer✔hypertonic
What physiological differences in infants and young child increases their insensible fluid loss? -
answer✔Respiratory rate
Increased body surface area to volume
Higher metabolic rate creates more waste in the form of urine
% of ECF to ICF and usually loose ECF.
Kidneys immature and inefficient in reabsorbing water and concentrating waste
Fever with illness
If there is a decrease in sodium (NA) due to an electrolyte imbalance, what symptoms will you
see? - answer✔fever, sweating, tachypnea, diseases: Gastroenteritis, burns, CF and DKA
If there is an excess of sodium (NA) due to fluid imbalance, what symptoms will you see? -
answer✔excessive intake, insufficient breast milk, high fluid losses-increased temp, high
humidity, hyperventilation, diabetes insipidus, hyperglycemia, renal disease
If there is a decrease in potassium (K) due to fluid imbalance, what might have caused it? -
answer✔starvation (most common), malabsorption, GI losses,diuresis, corticosteroids,
nephrotic syndrome, DKA with IV insulin administration, hyperglycemic diuresis, healing stage
of burns, alkalosis.
What is the most common symptom of low potassium? - answer✔starvation
If there is an excess of potassium (K) due to electrolyte imbalance, what symptoms will you
see? - answer✔renal disease/failure, metabolic acidosis, blood transfusions,use of salt
substitutes, severe dehydration, Addison Disease, burns, crushing injuries.
Normal sodium levels - answer✔136-145 in a child
134-150 in an infant
Normal Potassium levels - answer✔3.4-4.7 in a child
4.1-5.3 in an infant
2|Page
, ©THESTAR EXAM SOLUTIONS 2024/2025
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Why might you see K excess with a patient getting a blood transfusion? - answer✔anytime you
administer blood it comes through and IV canula. Some of the cells burst & potassium, being an
intracellular electrolyte, will leak out.
Why might you see K excess in a patient with a crushing injury? - answer✔The crushing injury
might burst cells and these lysed cells are moved into circulation
What determines the acidity of a fluid? - answer✔The number of hydrogen ions in the fluid. The
more ions, the more acidic. If the ions are low, it will be more alkaline.
What is normal pH? - answer✔7.35-7.45
What is the normal CO2 or HCO3 level? - answer✔21-28
What is the normal level of CO2 or HCO3 in an infant? - answer✔16-24
If a patient is having excessive diarrhea, what acid base imbalance are we worried about? Why?
- answer✔Metabolic acidosis
Losing waste BELOW waist--- losing base, holding acid
If a patient is experiencing excessive vomiting, what acid base imbalance are we worried about?
Why? - answer✔Metabolic alkaloisis
Above waist--- losing acid, holding base
When you see "CO2" it indicates the __ level. - answer✔bicarbonate
May see a serum CO2 or a HCO3.
Metabolic Acidosis will have low/high serum CO2 or a HCO3 and a low/high pH. - answer✔low
low
Metabolic alkalosis will have a low/high serum CO2 or a HCO3 and a low/high pH. -
answer✔high
high
Respiratory Acidosis will have a low/high pH and low/high PaCO2 - answer✔low
high
Respiratory Alkalosis will have a low/high pH and a low/high PaCO2 - answer✔high
low
3|Page
