Electrolyte disturbance refers to an abnormal change in the levels of electrolytes in the body. This usually constitutes a medical emergency. Severe or prolonged electrolyte disturbance can lead to cardiac problems, neuronal malfunction, organ failure and ultimately death. An electrolyte is a substance which dissociates free ions when dissolved (or molten), to produce an electrically conductive medium. ... A medical emergency is an injury or illness that poses an immediate threat to a persons health or life which requires help from a doctor or hospital. ... This page is about the muscular organ, the Heart. ... Neurons (also called nerve cells) are the primary cells of the nervous system. ... In biology, an organ is a group of tissues which perform some function. ... Death is either the cessation of life in a living organism or the state of the organism after that event. ...

The most serious electrolyte disturbances involve abnormalities in the levels of sodium, potassium, and/or calcium. Other electrolyte imbalances are less common, and often occur in conjunction with major electrolyte changes. General Name, Symbol, Number sodium, Na, 11 Series alkali metal Group, Period, Block 1 (IA), 3 , s Density, Hardness 968 kg/m3, 0. ... General Name, Symbol, Number potassium, K, 19 Series alkali metals Group, Period, Block 1(IA), 4 , s Density, Hardness 856 kg/m3, 0. ... See also Calcium, New York, United States. ...

Nomenclature

There is a standard nomenclature for electrolyte disorders: Nomenclature is a system of naming and categorizing objects in a given category. ...

1. The name starts with a prefix denoting whether the electrolyte is abnormally elevated ("hyper") or depleted ("hypo").
2. The word stem then gives the name of the electrolyte in Latin. If no Latin equivalent exists, then the corresponding term in English is used.
3. The name ends with the suffix "emia," meaning "in the blood." (Note, this doesn't mean that the disturbance is only in the blood; usually, electrolyte disturbance is systemic. However, since the disturbance is usually detected from blood testing, the convention has developed.)

For instance, elevated potassium in the blood is called "hyperkalemia" from the Latin term for potassium, "kalium". Prefix has meanings in linguistics, mathematics and computer science, and telecommunications. ... Latin - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Suffix has meanings in linguistics and nomenclature. ... Red blood cells (erythrocytes) are present in the blood and help carry oxygen to the rest of the cells in the body Blood is a circulating tissue composed of fluid plasma and cells ( red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). ... Blood tests are laboratory tests done on blood to gain an appreciation of disease states and the function of organs. ...

Table of common electrolyte disturbances

General Name, Symbol, Number sodium, Na, 11 Series alkali metal Group, Period, Block 1 (IA), 3 , s Density, Hardness 968 kg/m3, 0. ... Hypernatremia is a medical condition in which there is excess sodium in the body relative to the amount of water. ... The electrolyte disturbance hyponatremia exists when the sodium level in the plasma falls below 135 mmol/l. ... General Name, Symbol, Number potassium, K, 19 Series alkali metals Group, Period, Block 1(IA), 4 , s Density, Hardness 856 kg/m3, 0. ... Hyperkalemia (hyper is high, kalium is the Latin name for potassium) is an elevated blood level (above 5. ... Hypokalemia is a condition in which the body fails to retain sufficient potassium to maintain health. ... See also Calcium, New York, United States. ... Hypercalcaemia is an elevated calcium level in the blood. ... In medicine, hypocalcaemia is the presence of less than a total calcium of 2. ... General Name, Symbol, Number magnesium, Mg, 12 Series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2 (IIA), 3, s Density, Hardness 1738 kg/m³, 2. ... Hypermagnesemia is an electrolyte disturbance in which there is an abnormally elevated level of magnesium in the blood. ... Hypomagnesemia is an electrolyte disturbance in which there is an abnormally depleted level of magnesium in the blood. ... The chloride ion is formed when the element chlorine picks up one electron to form the negatively charged ion Cl−. The salts of hydrochloric acid HCl are also called chlorides. ... Hyperchloremia is an electrolyte disturbance in which there is an abnormally elevated level of the chloride ion in the blood. ... Hypochloremia is an electrolyte disturbance in which there is an abnormally depleted level of the chloride ion in the blood. ... In chemistry, a phosphate is a polyatomic ion or radical consisting of one phosphorus atom and four oxygen. ... Hyperphosphatemia is an electrolyte disturbance in which there is an abnormally elevated level of phosphate in the blood. ... Hypophosphatemia is an electrolyte disturbance in which there is an abnormally depleted level of phosphate in the blood. ... Bicarbonate is a polyatomic ion whose formula is HCO3-. It is the intermediate form in the deprotonation of carbonic acid: removing the first proton from carbonic acid forms bicarbonate; removing the second proton leads to the carbonate ion. ... Hyperbicarbonatemia is an electrolyte disturbance in which there is an abnormally elevated level of bicarbonate in the blood. ... Hypobicarbonatemia is an electrolyte disturbance in which there is an abnormally depleted level of bicarbonate in the blood. ...

See also

• acidosis
• alkalosis
• dehydration
• malnutrition
• starvation