- acid
- byproduct of many metabolic processes in the body and forms hydrogen ions (H+) when dissolved in water
- acidosis
- condition involving excessive levels of acids in the body
- alkalosis
- condition involving excessive levels of bases in the body
- arterial blood gas
- procedure in which blood is obtained from an arterial catheter or direct puncture and then analyzed to determine oxygenation status
- ascites
- fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity
- baroreceptors
- specialized nerve cells that can detect the “stretch” (i.e., the level of vasoconstriction) of vessels, which reflects blood pressure
- base
- forms hydroxide (OH−) ions when dissolved in water
- Chvostek’s sign
- involuntary twitching of facial muscles when the facial nerve is tapped; a classic sign of acute hypocalcemia
- edema
- swelling in the dependent tissues and extremities related to fluid accumulation in the interstitial space
- electrolytes
- ions dissolved in body fluid that play important roles in most physiological functions and assist in maintaining homeostasis
- hydrostatic pressure
- force exerted by a fluid against a wall, causing the movement of fluid between compartments
- hypercalcemia
- increased level of calcium in the blood
- hypercapnia
- elevated carbon dioxide levels in the blood
- hyperchloremia
- increased level of chloride in the blood
- hyperkalemia
- increased level of potassium in the blood
- hypermagnesemia
- increased level of magnesium in the blood
- hypernatremia
- increased level of sodium in the blood
- hyperphosphatemia
- increased level of phosphorus in the blood
- hypertonic
- describes a solution that contains more dissolved solutes than blood contains
- hypervolemia
- a state that occurs when an increased amount of fluid is retained in the intravascular compartment, resulting in an excess volume of fluid
- hypocalcemia
- decreased levels of calcium in the blood
- hypochloremia
- decreased level of chloride in the blood
- hypokalemia
- decreased level of potassium in the blood
- hypomagnesemia
- decreased level of magnesium in the blood
- hyponatremia
- decreased level of sodium in the blood
- hypophosphatemia
- decreased level of phosphorus in the blood
- hypothalamus
- structure in the brain that acts as a control center for the endocrine system
- hypotonic
- describes a solution that contains fewer dissolved solutes than blood contains
- hypovolemia
- state that occurs when fluid loss is greater than fluid intake, resulting in a deficient volume of fluid
- hypovolemic shock
- life-threatening medical condition in which the heart cannot get enough blood and oxygen to body tissues due to a severe intravascular fluid deficit
- isotonic
- describes a solution that contains the same number of dissolved solutes compared with blood
- metabolic acidosis
- condition resulting from an accumulation of acids and a deficiency of bases in the bloodstream
- metabolic alkalosis
- condition resulting from an accumulation of bases and a deficiency of acids in the bloodstream
- oncotic pressure
- pressure created by colloid in a fluid; prevents the movement of water from one solution to another
- osmolarity
- solute concentration of the blood
- osmoreceptors
- specialized cells in the hypothalamus that are particularly sensitive to the concentration of sodium ions and other solutes
- osmosis
- movement of water through a semipermeable membrane from an area of lesser solute concentration to an area of greater solute concentration
- osmotic demyelination syndrome
- brain cell dysfunction that results from osmotic changes, often due to rapid correction of hyponatremia
- osmotic pressure
- the pressure exerted by plasma proteins (e.g., albumin), acting as a pulling force to keep fluids inside blood vessels
- pH
- value that explains how much hydrogen is contained within a liquid and the activity of the hydrogen ion
- pulmonary edema
- life-threatening condition in which the respiratory system no longer functions effectively due to excessive fluid accumulation in the lungs
- respiratory acidosis
- condition that develops when carbon dioxide builds up in the body, causing the blood to become increasingly acidic
- respiratory alkalosis
- condition that develops when the body removes too much carbon dioxide through respiration, resulting in increased pH and an alkalotic state
- solute
- substance dissolved in another substance
- tetany
- involuntary contraction of muscles that is often related to hypocalcemia and leads to painful muscle cramps, spasms, and hyperactive reflexes
- tonicity
- composition and concentration of dissolved solutes in a solution
- Trousseau’s sign
- hand spasm caused by inflating a blood pressure cuff to a level above systolic pressure for 3 minutes; a classic sign of acute hypocalcemia