Water Balance Flashcards
(143 cards)
If a patient had sunken eyes, was refusing fluids, had a rapid pulse, dry mouth, weight loss, concentrated urine, low blood pressure and lack of skin turgor: what is likely to be wrong with them?
DEHYDRATION
Vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive sweating, low water intake, drainage from burns and damage to the hypothalamus can contribute to a deficit in what?
Body Fluids…. WATER
Chemical reactions that are important for acid balance occur in what?
Water
What is a major component of plasma and cells?
Water
What lubricates joints and organs?
Water
What has a high ability to absorb and retain heat, and stays in a liquid state over a broad range of temperature (0-100degrees)?
Water
What needs a large amount of heat to increase its temperature, and therefore is used to stabilise body temperature and can carry heat away from the body by sweating?
Water
How does sweating cool you down?
It absorbs heat away from the body and then evaporates on the surface of the skin
How many litres should our total body water be at any given time?
31-40 litres
Name 3 ways we take in water and how many mls:
Drinks - 1500mls
Food - 750 mls
Water of Metabolism - 250 mls
What 4 ways do we excrete water? (and give mls)
Urine - 1500 ml
Stools - 100 ml
Sweat - 200ml
Respiratory Loss - 700ml
Do men or women need more water in the body?
Men
What % of the male body is made up of water?
60%
Every cell in the body contains water. Where is 2/3 or 66% of it?
25 L is found in Intracellular Fluid (cells)
Every cell in the body contains water. Where is 1/3 or 30% of it?
Extracellular fluid 15 L
Interstitial = 12 L (between cells and not in blood vessels) Plasma = 3L (in blood)
Where is 3% of our water found?
0.7L is in our joints and CSF etc
Is there more water in the plasma or interstitial fluid?
There is more water in the interstitial fluid.
12L is found in between the cells whilst 3L is in blood.
There is even more in intracellular fluid = 25L.
What process allows substances to move in and out of cells?
Diffusion
Define simple diffusion
Movement from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration: DOWN the gradient
What kind of membrane does diffusion cross?
Semi-permeable membrane
Name 5 factors that affect the rate of diffusion:
Temperature (higher = faster) Molecular Weight (larger = slower) Steepness of Gradient (steeper = faster) Membrane Surface Area (larger = faster) Membrane Permeability (more doors = faster)
Where will water always move to?
An area where it is less concentrated
What is a homogenous mixture of one or more dissimilar substances?
A solution
What is a solution usually made up of?
A liquid (solvent) and a solute (electrolyte/dissolved particle)