UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

FACULTY OF PHARMACY | DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

ELECTROLYTE AND WATER PHYSIOLOGY

 WATER COMPOSITION OF THE BODY

 Preterm Infants = 80% of Body Weight

 Fullterm Infants = 70% of Body Weight

 Older Children = 65% of Body Weight

 Adolescents & Adult Males = 60% of Body Weight

 Adult Females = 55% of Body Weight

 WATER DISTRIBUTION

 INTRACELLULAR FLUID COMPARTMENT = Two-Thirds

 EXTRACELLULAR FLUID COMPARTMENT = One-Third

 INTERSTITIAL = 75% ECF

 Ultrafiltrate of blood plasma

 26% of Total Body Volume = 10.5 L

 Separated from Plasma via Endothelial Lining of Capillaries

 Exchange of Water with the Intravascular compartmentt governed by Starling Forces

 INTRAVASCULAR = 25% ECF

 OSMOTIC PRESSURE, OSMOSIS, & OSMOLALITY

 Osmotic pressure is exerted by the movement of solute and permeable ions.

 Osmosis is the process that constitutes the movement of solvent across a membrane in response to
differences in osmotic pressure across the two sides of the membrane.

 Osmolality is the concentration of solute relative to the mass of a solvent

 Solutes that greatly affect Osmotic Pressure & Osmolality

 Sodium

 Glucose

 Urea

 PROFILES OF THE ELECTROLYTES

 THE CATIONS
SODIUM Reabsorption : Actively on Ascending loop of Henle (with chloride as limiting
factor) and Distal Tubule (in exchange for K)
POTASSIUM
CALCIUM
Filtration : 80% of Serum Mg2+
MAGNESIUM Reabsorption : 95% of Filtered Mg2+
Excretion : 5% of Filtered Mg2+

 PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

DISEASES AND THEIR EFFECT ON SERUM ELECTROLYTE LEVELS

INCREASED DECREASED
HYPERALDOSTERONISM / CUSHING’S DISEASE

[aldosterone promotes reabsorption of

SODIUM
sodium] [electroneutrality : To
POTASSIUM
compensate sodium gain]

CHLORIDE [follows sodium]

[excreted in urine; Sodium-
MAGNESIUM
dependent Magnesium efflux]
HYPERPARATHYROIDISM / HYPERTHYROIDISM

[Phosphates mobilized from

[PTH stimulates mobilization of Calcium PHOSPHATE bone are to be eliminated by
Phosphates from the bone to the blood /
CALCIUM kidneys as signaled by PTH]
reabsorption on kidneys / a-hydroxylase
activity for vitamin D] [increased rate of urinary
MAGNESIUM
excretion]

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UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
FACULTY OF PHARMACY | DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

RENAL FAILURE

Potassium Sodium

Magnesium

Calcium

ALKALOSIS
[in metabolic alkalosis;
electroneutality : high bicarbonate
Chloride in blood, the negative charge must
be balanced by excreting chloride
ions]
[Intracellular shift : Hydrogen ions
move out of the cell to balance the
Potassium pH; potassium moves inside the
cell for every release of cellular
Hydrogen]

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