General characteristics of patients with electrolyte imbalance admitted to emergency department

• DOI: 10.5847/wjem.j.issn.1920-8642.2013.02.005
• Publication Date: 2013-06-06T03:43:51Z
• Authors: Arif Kadri Balcı; Ozlem Koksal; Ataman Kose; Erol Armagan; Fatma Ozdemir; Taylan Inal; Nuran Oner
• Keywords: Electrolyte Disorder; Etiology; Electrolyte imbalance

Fluid and electrolyte balance is a key concept to understand for maintaining homeostasis, successful treatment of many metabolic disorders. There are various regulating mechanisms the equilibrium electrolytes in organisms. Disorders these result imbalances that may be life-threatening clinical conditions. In this study we defined imbalance characteristics patients admitted our emergency department.This was conducted Emergency Department (ED) Uludag University Faculty Medicine, included 996 over 18 years age. All had imbalance, with etiologies other than traumatic origin. Demographic parameters were collected after obtaining informed consent from patients. The ethical committee university approved study.The mean age 59.28±16.79, 55% male. common symptoms dyspnea (14.7%), fever (13.7%), systemic deterioration (11.9%); but most least frequent hyponatremia hypermagnesemia, respectively. Most findings physical examination confusion (14%), edema (10%) rales (9%); pathological ECG tachycardia 24%, atrial fibrillation 7% comorbidity malignancy (39%). diagnoses sepsis (11%), pneumonia (9%), acute renal failure (7%).Electrolyte particular importance ED Therefore, physicians must acknowledged their fluid-electrolyte dynamics general characteristics.