Table of Contents
How do you care for someone with electrolyte imbalance?
Treatment of An Electrolyte Imbalance: Intravenous fluids, electrolyte replacement. A Minor electrolyte imbalance may be corrected by diet changes. For example; eating a diet rich in potassium if you have low potassium levels, or restricting your water intake if you have a low blood sodium level.
How can I remember my potassium levels?
The Trick: When you think of potassium, think of bananas. There are usually 3-5 bananas in a bunch, and you want to buy them 1/2 off if you can. This will help you remember the normal range for potassium is 3.5-5 mEq/L.
What should a nurse do for hyponatremia?
Nursing Interventions for Hyponatremia Hypervolemic Hyponatremia: Restrict fluid intake and in some cases administer diuretics to excretion the extra water rather than sodium to help concentrate the sodium. If the patient has renal impairment they may need dialysis.
What should a nurse do for high potassium?
Insulin and glucose, or insulin alone in hyperglycemic patients, will drive the potassium back into the cells, effectively lowering serum potassium. A common regimen is ten units of regular insulin given with 50 ml of a 50% dextrose solution (D50).
What are the nursing actions for patients with hyperkalemia?
Nursing Interventions for Hyperkalemia Prepare patient for ready for dialysis. Most patient are renal patients who get dialysis regularly and will have high potassium. Kayexalate is sometimes ordered and given PO or via enema. This drug promotes GI sodium absorption which causes potassium excretion.
Can too many electrolytes hurt you?
When someone has too many or too few electrolytes, they can experience several symptoms, including: Fatigue. Headaches. Weak muscles.
What happens if your electrolytes are too high?
When the amount of electrolytes in your body is too high or too low, you can develop: Dizziness. Cramps. Irregular heartbeat.
How do you memorize electrolyte lab values?
Use the letters “od” in sodium to remember “odd” numbers. Then combine the first 3 odd numbers which are 1, 3, and 5. This will give you 135 which is the lower end of normal. Simply add 10, and this will give you the normal range of 135-145 mEq/L.
What is important to know about electrolytes for nursing school?
However, nursing professionals and middle school science teachers alike must prep to understand the influence electrolytes have on this world. So, what is important to know about electrolytes for nursing school and thereafter? A foundational understanding of how electrolytes interact with each other and within the human body.
What is an electrolyte?
Starting off: what is an electrolyte? Electrolytes are minerals with an electric charge that can be found in your blood, urine, body tissues, other bodily fluids, 1 and even outside the human body (maybe more so, but I’m not a molecular chemist, so please humor me). They serve many functions in the body: 1
How are electrolytes absorbed in the body?
When a person eats and drinks, they consume and (hopefully) absorb electrolytes through the process of digestion. 1 Once in the bloodstream and body tissues, the body regulates electrolytes’ levels through physiologic activities like active transport, diffusion, and eventually excretion.
What is K+ (King of electrolytes)?
The next section is all about Potassium, or K+ (the K stands for “King of the Electrolytes”). Potassium is found in spinach, bananas, collard greens, blackberries, carrots, potatoes, oranges 10 …the list goes on and on.