Summary
Highlights
Electrolytes are ions found in bodily fluids that create electrical energy to maintain normal functioning of muscles, nerves, heart, and brain. They help maintain fluid balances because where fluids flow, electrolytes go. Any process that depletes water, such as vomiting, diarrhea, or sweating, will deplete electrolytes.
Potassium maintains heart and muscle contraction. Hyperkalemia (over 5.0) causes tight, contracted symptoms: peaked T-waves, wide QRS, hypotension, bradycardia, diarrhea, hyperactive bowel sounds, and neuromuscular paralysis, paresthesia, and increased DTRs. Hypokalemia (less than 3.5) causes low and slow symptoms: flat T-waves, ST depression, prominent U waves, decreased DTRs, flaccid paralysis, decreased GI motility, constipation, abdominal distension, and paralytic ileus.
Sodium maintains blood pressure, blood volume, and pH balance. Hypernatremia causes big, bloated symptoms: flushed red skin, edema, low-grade fever, excessive thirst, swollen dry tongue, nausea, vomiting, and increased muscle tone. Hyponatremia leads to neurological issues (seizures, coma), tachycardia, weak thready pulses, and respiratory arrest.
Chloride follows sodium and shares its functions: maintaining blood volume, blood pressure, and pH. Hyperchloremia presents similarly to hypernatremia with nausea, vomiting, swollen dry tongue, and confusion. Hypochloremia mimics hyponatremia with excessive diarrhea, vomiting, sweating, and fever.
Magnesium maintains law and order in muscles by calming them down, mainly in the heart, uterus, and deep tendon reflexes. It's essential for calcium and vitamin D absorption. Hypermagnesemia causes calm and quiet organs: heart blocks, prolonged PR intervals, bradycardia, hypotension, decreased DTRs, depressed respirations, and hypoactive bowel sounds. Hypomagnesemia causes buck wild symptoms: Torsades de pointes, VFIB, tachycardia, ST depression, T-wave inversion, hyperreflexia (increased DTRs), nystagmus, and diarrhea.
Calcium keeps the three Bs strong: bones, blood (clotting), and beats (heartbeats). Hypercalcemia causes swollen and slow symptoms: constipation, bone pain, kidney stones (renal calculi), decreased DTRs, and severe muscle weakness. Hypocalcemia results in Trousseau's and Chvostek's signs, diarrhea, circumoral tingling, weak bones (fracture risk), bleeding risk, and cardiac dysrhythmias.
Phosphate is essential for bone and teeth formation and helps regulate calcium. It works inversely with calcium. Hyperphosphatemia leads to symptoms of low calcium: Trousseau's and Chvostek's signs, diarrhea, weak bones, bleeding risk, and cardiac dysrhythmias. Hypophosphatemia leads to symptoms of high calcium: constipation, decreased DTRs, severe muscle weakness, decreased heart rate and respiratory rate, and kidney stones.