[A methodological approach to determining electrolyte disorders in cholera patients].
A total of 198 cholera patients were studied for blood concentrations of electrolytes; the above patients were treated at Mykolaïv Cholera Hospital during an outbreak in 1995. It is advisable that blood plasma concentration of electrolytes be represented as mmol/kg of the mass of a cholera patient's body instead of mmol/l, to indicate disturbances in electrolytic balance. It is a matter of principle for the assessment of the patient's state to be done, first of all, before initiating the rehydration therapy treatments. Determinants of electrolytes in cholera patients got decreased not only in severe course of the illness but also in moderately severe one. Of all the electrolytes studied in blood plasma, it is in K+ and Cl- that deviations from the norm were at their greatest. Since electrolytic balance is a sensitive indicator of homeostasis of human organism it is useful to calculate the volume of salt solutions for the primary rehydration according to blood plasma concentration of Cl- in mmol/kg of mass of the patient's body. Lowering of electrolyte concentration in erythrocytes occurred only in severe course of cholera involving K+ only.
Kyrychenko
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D000208:Acute Disease; D002771:Cholera / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000097:blood; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D006801:Humans; D014883:Water-Electrolyte Imbalance / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy
D004573:Electrolytes