title: Assessment of fluids and electrolytes.
abstract: Bedside evaluation of a patient's intravascular volume status is challenging, even for the seasoned practitioner. There is no single diagnostic test to determine whether a patient is hypovolemic, hypervolemic, or euvolemic. Often, underlying or concomitant disease states, medications, and other therapeutics can make available data difficult to interpret. Therefore, a combination of clinical evaluation, laboratory studies, and other diagnostics are required to make a clinical judgment regarding volume status. Patients who demonstrate alterations in their volume status are likely to have electrolyte abnormalities as well, and assessment of serum electrolyte values and potential therapeutic interventions is a vital piece in caring for critically ill patients.
authors.affiliation: St Luke's Hospital, Department of Trauma, Bethlehem, PA18015, USA. nebelkh@slhn.org
authors.forename: Heidi Nebelkopf
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Elgart
mesh_terms: D001834:Body Water; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000451:nursing; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000097:blood; D018495:Fluid Shifts; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D005947:Glucose / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D020896:Hypovolemia / Q000175:diagnosis; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014869:Water Intoxication / Q000175:diagnosis; D014883:Water-Electrolyte Imbalance / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D005947:Glucose