GRADED A+
✔✔What is a catalyst? - ✔✔A substance that increases the rate at which a specific
chemical reaction proceeds but is not itself consumed during the reaction.
Example: enzymes
✔✔Risk for dehydration - ✔✔infants and elderly
UTIs
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Diabetes
Impaired swallowing
Extreme weakness
Disorientation
Coma
Hemorrhage
Sweating
Excessive wound drainage
Diuretic therapy
✔✔Diabetes and water requirements - ✔✔More water to help regulate blood glucose
levels
✔✔symptom of dehydration - ✔✔Thirst
Poor skin turgor
Weight loss
Weakness
Dizziness
Postural hypotension
Decreased urine output
Dark, concentrated urine
Dry, cracked lips and tongue
Dry mucous membranes
Sunken, soft eyeballs
Thick saliva
Dry, scaly skin
Flat neck veins when lying down
Rapid, weak, thready pulse
Elevated temperature (greater than 100.6 degrees)
Increased hematocrit
High urine specific gravity with low volume
✔✔First symptom of dehydration? - ✔✔thirst
,✔✔serious symptoms of dehydration - ✔✔disorientation, irritability, no urine output,
rapid pulse, complete exhaustion
✔✔Risk for fluid overload - ✔✔Any patient with cardiac problems such as congestive
heart failure
Older adult patients receiving large amounts of intravenous fluids
Patients with kidney conditions
Patients with liver conditions
Pregnancy
✔✔What is the most important nutrient for humans? - ✔✔Water
✔✔How do sodium and chloride regulate water balance? - ✔✔They maintain water
balance. Chloride follows sodium in order to maintain charge neutrality
✔✔What is an electrolyte imbalance? - ✔✔When a person has too much or too little of
an amount of electrolytes/minerals in their body
✔✔Normal sodium levels - ✔✔135-145 mEq/L
✔✔normal potassium levels - ✔✔3.5-5.0 mEq/L
✔✔Normal calcium levels - ✔✔8.4-10.6 my/dL
✔✔Normal magnesium levels - ✔✔1.3-2.1 mEq/L
✔✔normal phosphate levels - ✔✔3.0-4.5 mg/dL
✔✔normal chloride levels - ✔✔96-106 mEq/L
✔✔normal bicarbonate levels - ✔✔22-26 mEq/L
✔✔Hyponatremia symptoms and definition - ✔✔Low sodium
Most common electrolyte imbalance
Central nervous system and neuromuscular changes resulting from failure of swollen
cells to transmit electrical impulses
Fatigue, lethargy, headache, mental confusion, altered level of consciousness, anxiety,
coma, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, seizures, decreased sensation,
decreased blood pressure (BP)
✔✔Hyponatremia causes - ✔✔Inadequate sodium intake, as in patients on low-sodium
diets
Excessive intake or retention of water (kidney failure and heart failure)
, Loss of bile, which is rich in sodium, as a result of fistulas, drainage, gastrointestinal
surgery, nausea and vomiting, and suction
Loss of sodium through burn wounds
Administration of intravenous (IV) fluids that do not contain electrolytes
✔✔Hyponatremia nursing interventions - ✔✔Restrict water intake as ordered for
patients with congestive heart failure, kidney failure, and inadequate antidiuretic
hormone production.
Liberalize a low-sodium diet.
Closely monitor patient receiving IV solutions to correct hyponatremia.
Replace water loss with fluids containing sodium.
✔✔Hypernatremia definition and symptoms - ✔✔High sodium
Dry mucous membranes, taut skin turgor, intense thirst, flushed skin, oliguria, possibly
elevated temperature
Weakness, lethargy, irritability, twitching, seizures, coma, intracranial bleeding
Low-grade fever
✔✔Hypernatremia causes - ✔✔High-sodium diet, inadequate water intake as in a
comatose, mentally confused, or debilitated patient
Excessive sweating, diarrhea, failure of kidney to reabsorb water from urine
Administration of high-protein, hyperosmotic tube feedings and osmotic diuretics
Water loss from fever, respiratory infection, or watery diarrhea
✔✔Hypernatremia nursing interventions - ✔✔Encourage increased fluid intake.
Measure intake and output (I&O).
Give water between tube feedings.
Restrict sodium intake.
Monitor temperature.
✔✔Hypokalemia definition and symptoms - ✔✔Low potassium
Abdominal pain, paralytic ileus, gaseous distention of intestines
Cardiac dysrhythmias, muscle weakness, decreased reflexes, paralysis, urinary
retention, increased urinary pH, lethargy, confusion, electrocardiogram (ECG) changes
Severe cases can cause cardiac arrest
✔✔Hypokalemia causes - ✔✔Inadequate intake of potassium-rich foods
Loss of potassium in urine when kidneys do not reabsorb the mineral
Loss of potassium from intestinal tract as a result of diarrhea or vomiting, drainage from
fistulas, or overuse of gastric suction
Improper use of diuretics
✔✔Hypokalemia nursing interventions - ✔✔Instruct patients (especially those taking
diuretics) about foods high in potassium content; encourage intake.
Observe closely for signs of digitalis toxicity in patients taking this drug.