Biochemistry 2- NB do magnesium again by looking at BB Flashcards
(42 cards)
Distribution and composition of body fluids
Female: 45% solid, 55% fluid Male: 40% solid, 60% fluid (2/3 intracellular, 1/3 extracellular 80% interstitial 20% plasma) In kids the fluid level is higher this is why dehydration is very deadly
-We need 2.5-3 L/day
How to lose fluid
Urine Poo Sweat Lungs Burns Inflammation
What dehydration test do we do
Skin turgor test
-Pull skin, if it doesn’t spring back immediately= dehydration
What is the deffinition of electrolyte
Is an inorganic salt with a positive or negative charge
+= cation
- = anion
Distribution of electrolytes
Needs to be correct for AP
- We measure plasma electrolyte conc
- When this is imbalanced muscle tends to be effected due to not generating smooth AP (cardiac muscle) Na and K are most requested
Sodium and potassium levels
Usually obtained when request U+E
Na: 134-146 mmol/L
K: 3.4-5.2 mmol/L
Urea: 3.4-7.8 mmol/L
Creatinine= 7.5-155 micromol/L
eGFR
Urea
- Synthesised in liver and by product of deamination of amino acid
- High levels: renal failure, dehydration, GI-bleed Low levels: liver disease; high levels rise far quickier in acute renal failure than Cr
Sodium
Major extracellular electrolyte
- 70% in body is freely exchangeable
- In western diet, intake is approx 10-20 units needed
- Excess is excreted in urine
- Na+ important is established osmotic pressure between intra and extracellular fluids
Hypoatremia- low plasma Na+
Most common electrolyte abnormality amongst patients admitted to hospital
- Low plasma Na+ doesn’t mean low body Na+
- Usually due to water imbalance due hydration or fluid overload Hyponatremia,
- is dangerous mortality 25% with 120-125 mmol/L 50% with below 120 mmol/L
Symptoms of hyponatremia
Mild >125 mmol/L= no symptoms, headache, confusion, vomiting
Moderate (120-125)= lethargy, muscle cramps
Moderate 115-120= drowsiness, agitation
<115= seizures, respiratory depression, coma
- Electrolyte imbalance, this causes osmolarity imbalance -> cause cells to lyse this is esp bad in brain cells, can also cause increase of intracranial pressure
- Cannot recorrect to quickly because brain cells would shrink
Consequences of hyponatremia
If Na level drop rapidly extracellular fluid becomes hypotonic so greater osmotic pressure inside cell, water flows in causing lysis this is especially damaging in brain cells causing CNS symptoms If Na levels drop slowly so cells adapt, no lysis so no symptoms If we treat gradual hyponatremia to quick this causes cell shrinking, causing cell death
Hyponatremia management
- Treat the cause
- Correct Na+ levels- not to quickly this can cause potine myelinolysis (breakdown of myelin sheath in the Pons section of the brain) this is irreversible
- Don’t raise serum levels more than 0.5 mmol/L/hour
- Either by giving IV fluids containing Na or via fluid restriction and diuretic (removal of fluids from kidneys) (depending on patient fluid status)
Emergency treatment of hyponatremia
- If symptomatic and rapid onset
- Hypertonic saline (3%) to restore serum (Na+) to safe level (>120mmol/L)
- Then consider cause and treat
- We can medically induce this after an exam; marathons; people who take ecstasy
- Hyponatraemia is considered chronic if it develops slowly and persists for more than 48 hrs
Hypovolaemia
- Na+ deficit with relatively smaller water deficit
- May be excessive loss of one or more body fluids e.g. GI or kidneys due to disease or drugs (loop diuretics)
- K+ sparring diuretics (often cause hyponatraemia)- amiloride Addison’s disease, chrons disease Postural hypotension, decreases skin turgor, tachycardia, reduced urine, urea and creatinine increase, low JVP, increase in haematocrit, increase in urea and creatinine
- Severe vomiting and diarrhoea; sweating
- Treatment: underlying cause, isotonic saline until BP is restored
What is hypervolaemia
Na retention with relatively greater water retention
- Likely causes: CCF, liver cirrhosis, nephrotic syndrome and renal failure
- This causes vasodilation, fall inmean arterial BP picked up by baroreceptors, increased ADH release, increased water retention
- Symptoms: abdominal swelling, breathlessness, increase in JVP, rapid weight gain, peripheral oedema
- Treatment: underlying cause, restrict fluid intake and add loop diuretic, if refractory use vasopressin receptor antagonists (tolvaptan)
What is evolaemia
- Water retention alone
- Release of ADH (cerebral or Tumor related) promotes water retention in kidney without feedback loop, this is known as SIADH
- Hypothyroidism and glucocorticoids deficiency
- Acute- trauma and surgery
- Caused by drugs: amitryptyline, k sparing diuretics, NSAIDS, SSRI, anti-psychotics
Treatment of evolaemia
Fluid restriction 800ml-1.5L
- Measure serum osmolarity
- 275-295 mOsmol/kg, pseudo hyponatremia caused by hyperlipidaemia, hyperglycaemia or hypopeoteinamia- do nothing
- If >295 mOsmol/kg correct imbalanced osmotically active particles e.g. glucose
- If<275 also need urine osmolarity
- If urine osmolity >100
- If urine osmolity >100 Consider hypothyriodism and glucocorticoid deficiency then SIADH, if SIADH fluid restrict then demeclocycline to block renal tubular effect of ADH
- Then tolvaptan (Cause major fluid shift, v.effective this can cause effect on the brain)
Hypernatremia
- Usually due to water loss (or lack of intake)
- Symptoms: muscle weakness, confusion
- Normal body Na+: water loss is high and not replaced, don’t confuse with diabetes inspidous, were body doesn’t respond to ADH or doesn’t secrete ADH
- Drug induced: lithium, phenytoin, anabolic and corticosteroid, lactulose, oral contraceptive
- Must correct slowly, replacement of water deficit
- Treat the cause
- Choice fluid will depend on whether patient is hypovolaemic, hypervolaemic or Euvolaemic
Potassium
- Intracellular electrolyte
- 90% free, only 2% in ECF
- Serum K level is a poor reflection of overall k levels
- Balance controlled by the kidneys As H+ ions increase in plasma m, K is displaced in cells and goes into plasma (reverse for alkaline) K is driven into cells by insulin and catecholamine- Adrenaline and aldosterone
- Typical western diet contains 20-100 mmol/day
- Balance-fine control by kidney, GI tract has limited role
Hypokalaemia
This is low plasma K+ depletion
- K deficiency DO correlate with serum levels
- Usually due to insulin, this is also caused by B2-agonist (IV)- not normally in inhaler
- Causes: loss from kidney, Cushing syndrome, damage to nephrons, gentamicin, corticosteroid (mimic aldersterone cushings)
- Symptoms: causes hyperpolarization of excitable membranes: muscle weakness, constipation, cardiac arythmias Cause digoxin toxicity due to increased uptake
- If K+ <2.5 mmol/L, treat urgently
Hypokalaemia
- Not necessarily K+ depletion
- Usually due to movement of K+ into cells e.g. insulin
- Or Increase K+ excretion e.g. diuretics
- Often asymptomatic
- Causes hyperpolarisation of excitable membranes –> muscle weakness, constipation, confusion, cardiac arrhythmias
- If K <2.5 mmol/L treat urgently
Hypokalaemia management
Each 0.3 mmol/L reduction in serum reflects 100 mmol/L deficit in body stores
- Diet and drugs: loop diuretics (use K sparing diuretics)
- Not MR, liquid or effervescent prep- 40-120 mmol per day
- Oral (meds or diet)
- Only give IV K- KCl is normal saline- must be given slowly
- Dont exceed 10 mmol/Hr
- Refractory hypokalaemia may be due to hypomagnesaemia
Hyperkalaemia
- Kidney failure
- False induced by K sparring diuretics and ACEI, ARBs No insulin= K into intracellular space cause hyperkalaemia- severe tissue damage (RBC, chemotherapy)
- Above 6.5= medical emergency, hyperpolarised cells induce cardiac excitability= heart attack High levels could be poor sampling technique
Management of hyperkalaemia
Stop drugs that conserve potassium
Mild-moderate with no ECG changes= use a ion exchange resin which removes K from body e.g. sodium polystyrene sulfonate, High SA to trap ions with
- binds K in colon
- Either by mouth or enema
- Onsite slow take 2hours