NU101 Foundations of Nursing Practice

Fluid and Electrolytes Balance

Glossary
List of important terms:

Homeostasis:
the tendency of biological systems to maintain relatively constant conditions in 
the internal environment while continuously interacting with and adjusting to c
hanges originating within 

Intracellular fluid: cytosol within the cell

Extracellular fluid: cytosol surround the cell as circulating reservoir.
Fluid volume deficit: loss of both water and electrolytes
Fluid volume excess: gain of both water and electrolytes
active transport: the movement of dissolved molecules into or out of a cell
through the cell membrane, from a region of lower concentration to a region of
higher concentration
anions: negatively charged ions.
cation: positively charged ions.
colloid osmotic pressure: It is a form of osmotic pressure exerted by proteins
in blood vessel plasma that usually tends to draw water into the circulatory
system.
cross-matching:  test performed before a blood transfusion as part of blood
compatibility testing diffusion:
edema: fluid gain in interstitial space
electrolytes: minerals in your body that have an electric charge
filtration:  process used to separate solids from liquids or gases using a filter
medium that allows the fluid to pass through but not the solid.
hydrostatic pressure:  pressure that is exerted by a fluid at equilibrium at a
given point within the fluid, due to the force of gravity.
hypercalcemia: condition in which you have too high a concentration of
calcium in your blood
hyperkalemia: potassium level in your blood that's higher than normal.
hypermagnesemia: electrolyte disorder in which there is a high level of
magnesium in the blood. Symptoms
hypernatremia:  high concentration of sodium in the blood.
hyperphosphatemia:  electrolyte disorder in which there is an elevated level of
phosphate in the blood.
hypertonic: . having an osmotic pressure greater than that of the solution with 
which it is compared.
hypervolemia: medical condition where there is too much fluid in the blood.
hypocalcemia: condition in which there are lower-than-average levels of
calcium in the liquid part of the blood.
hypokalemia:  is a low level of potassium in the blood serum.
hypomagnesemia: electrolyte disturbance caused when there is a low level of
serum magnesium in the blood. 
hyponatremia:  low sodium concentration in the blood.
hypophosphatemia:  electrolyte disorder in which there is a low level of
phosphate in the blood.
hypotonic: A hypotonic solution has a lower concentration of solutes than
another solution.
hypovolemia: decrease in the volume of blood in your body, which can be due
to blood loss or loss of body fluids.
ion:
An atom or group of atoms carrying an electric charge by virtue of having gain
ed or lost one or more electrons
isotonic:  Having the same concentration of solutes as the blood
osmolarity:
the concentration of a solution in terms of osmoles of solutes per liter of soluti
on.
osmosis:
the diffusion of pure solvent across a membrane in response to a concentratio
n gradient, usually from a solution of lesser to one of greater solute concentrat
ion.
solutes: the substance that is dissolved in a liquid (solvent) to form a solution.
solvents: A liquid that holds another substance in solution, that is, dissolves it.
Abbreviation associated with fluid and electrolytes balance:
F&E=
I & O = intake and output.

NVD or N/V/D =
Nausea, Vomiting And Diarrhea

FVD = Fluid Volume Deficit

FVE = Fluid Volume Excess

IV =
Intravenous

IVF = Intravenous Fluids