Fluid, Electrolyte and Acid-Base Balance

What this unit covers

The resources follow three threads: fluid volume, individual electrolytes and acid-base balance. On fluids, you will find maps and decks on hypovolemia, fluid overload, dehydration and isotonic dehydration. On electrolytes, there are separate maps for sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. For acid-base work, look at blood gas analysis, alkalosis and ABG practice.

Where to start

1. Begin with the notes titled Fluid and Electrolytes for how body fluid and electrolytes are distributed.
2. Move to the Sodium and Magnesium mind maps. They set out normal ranges, causes, signs and symptoms, interventions and critical values, such as sodium below 120 or above 160 mEq/L.
3. Open the Hypocalcemia mind map for Trousseau's sign and the risk of seizures.
4. Use the Expected Ranges for ABG (Arterial Blood Gases) map to learn pH and PCO2 ranges, with an ATI example of metabolic acidosis.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map, then test yourself straight away. The quiz Fluid Balances, Electrolytes, and pH opens with a patient who has nausea, vomiting, weakness and dry mucous membranes, so you practise reading a presentation rather than reciting a list. Fluid & Electrolyte Balance Quiz 1 asks about hyperkalemia, including select-all-that-apply items. For exam practice, there are quizzes built from NCLEX-style questions on acid-base balance and on fluids and electrolytes. When you miss a question, go back to the matching map and read that branch again.

Flashcards suit quick recall. The Hypovolemia deck covers risk factors and assessment findings by body system, while the Fluid and Electrolytes deck covers phosphate and the vitamin involved in its absorption.

Where it sits

This unit belongs to the Pharmacology and Therapeutic Interventions strand of Nursing. Its IV therapy and electrolyte content links naturally to that focus.

Pick one electrolyte, work through its map and a quiz, then make your own flashcards from what you got wrong.