Electrolyte disorder
The term electrolyte disorder describes the pathological deviation of the plasma concentration of a physiologically important electrolyte from the norm. In extreme cases, a serious or persistent electrolyte imbalance can lead to heart problems , nervous system malfunction , organ failure, and ultimately death .
The most serious electrolyte imbalances affect levels of potassium , sodium, and / or calcium . Other electrolyte imbalances are less common and often occur along with the major electrolyte imbalances.
nomenclature
The nomenclature for electrolyte imbalances provides:
- The name begins with a prefix that indicates whether the electrolyte level is abnormally elevated ( hyper- ) or decreased ( hypo- ).
- The word stem indicates the name of the electrolyte.
- The name ends with the suffix -emia , which means something like "in the blood". It should be noted that this disorder does not only show up in the blood; an electrolyte disorder is systemic . But because the disorder is usually diagnosed with a blood test , this convention evolved.
Common electrolyte imbalances
| electrolyte | chemical formula | Increased concentration | Decreased concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| sodium | Na + | Hypernatremia | Hyponatremia |
| potassium | K + | Hyperkalemia | Hypokalemia |
| Calcium | Ca 2+ | Hypercalcemia | Hypocalcemia |
| magnesium | Mg 2+ | Hypermagnesaemia | Hypomagnesaemia |
| chloride | Cl - | Hyperchloremia | Hypochloremia |
| phosphate | PO 4 3− | Hyperphosphatemia | Hypophosphatemia |
| bicarbonate | HCO 3 - | Hyperbicarbonataemia ( metabolic alkalosis ) | Hypobicarbonataemia ( metabolic acidosis ) |