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Articles and journal scans about Electrolytes
Journal Scan
October 2011
Arrhythmias in electrolyte disturbances
In health plasma potassium concentration is maintained between 3.5 and 5.2 mmol/L. The most significant clinical effect of both raised plasma potassium (hyperkalemia) and reduced plasma potassium (hypokalemia) is on the myocardium (heart muscle).
This reflects the fact that the resting membrane potential of cardiac...
Electrolytes
Journal Scan
April 2011
Hypokalemia and cardiac disease
In health, serum potassium concentration is maintained within the approximate range of 3.5-5.2 mmol/L. Disturbance of potassium homeostasis is a common electrolyte disorder that is clinically manifest through its adverse effect on both skeletal and cardiac muscle cell function.
Although often asymptomatic, both...
Electrolytes
Article
April 2011
Use of tri-sodium citrate in hemodialysis
Hemodialysis and related treatments for those with failing kidneys all involve blood flow through a circuit outside the body. This extracorporeal circuit - the dialysis machine and its connections from and back to the body - is a non-physiological, pro-coagulant environment.
To counter the tendency for patients'...
Point-of-care testing
Electrolytes
Blood gases/acid-base
Creatinine/urea
Kidneys/fluids
Article
January 2011
Critical values in laboratory medicine
The process of patient sample testing, whether performed in the clinical laboratory or at the point of care, is the sum of three distinct phases. The first is the preanalytical phase, which includes test selection as well as sample collection and handling.
The second is the analytical or measuring phase that...
Bilirubin
Electrolytes
Point-of-care testing
Blood gases/acid-base
Glucose
Lactate
Creatinine/urea
Hemoglobins
Kidneys/fluids
Journal Scan
January 2011
Hypokalemia-induced paralysis
Hypokalemia, one of the most common electrolyte disturbances, is diagnosed if plasma potassium concentration is less than 3.5 mmol/L. Mild hypokalemia (plasma potassium 3.0-3.5 mmol/L) is usually asymptomatic, but greater degree of hypokalemia can result in signs and symptoms that reflect the fundamental role of...
Electrolytes
Journal Scan
July 2010
Plasma sodium concentration in the critically ill
Of all blood chemistry parameters, sodium is one of the most frequently measured among hospitalized patients, including those admitted to critical care units. The assay is generally available on point-of-care analyzers sited in these units. Incidence of abnormality in plasma sodium concentration among critically ill...
Electrolytes
Journal Scan
April 2010
Ion-selective electrode interference - a review
Plasma electrolytes, which include sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium, are among the most frequently measured blood analytes in clinical medicine. All are measured by ion-selective electrodes (ISE). ISEs are present not only in clinical laboratory instrumentation but also in blood gas analyzers and...
Electrolytes
Point-of-care testing
Journal Scan
December 2009
The anion gap - a review article
The serum (plasma) anion gap is a useful additional piece of
clinical information that can be easily derived without cost from
the results of the most commonly requested biochemical profile,
urea and electrolytes (U&E). It is the difference between the
sum of measured anions (chloride and bicarbonate) and the sum of...
Electrolytes
Blood gases/acid-base
Journal Scan
December 2009
Pseudohyperkalemia
Potassium is one of the blood analytes most frequently measured in
the clinical laboratory and at the point of care. Compared with
most laboratory measurements, potassium is unusually prone to
preanalytical error so that pseudohyperkalemia, defined as raised
serum or plasma potassium concentration despite normal in...
Preanalytical phase
Electrolytes
Article
December 2009
Pediatric considerations in critical value assignment
Critical values are those associated with imminent danger unless acted upon promptly. Critical value menus often include results that do not fit this definition, leading to highly variable practice in adult and pediatric laboratories.
Existing menus may be subdivided into more uniform tiers of severity: the highly...
Neonatology
Bilirubin
Blood gases/acid-base
Electrolytes
Glucose
Creatinine/urea