Role of Nursing Diagnosis in Managing Electrolyte Imbalance

When the electrolyte levels in the body are too low or high, it is called an electrolyte balance. Electrolyte imbalances are more common in hospitalized patients due to their medical conditions and treatment methods.

Electrolyte Imbalance: Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of different types of electrolyte balances are varied. Signs and symptoms vary depending on the type of electrolyte imbalance, its severity, and whether there are comorbidities. There are some common signs checked by healthcare team that you may observe by clinical nurse for most types of imbalances. If the imbalance is mild and occurs slowly, many patients do not experience any symptoms.

Common symptoms of electrolyte balance include:

• Fatigue
• Muscle cramps or muscular weakness
• Confusion and irritation
• Cardiac arrest dysrhythmias
• Tachycardia
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Dyspnea
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Delirium
• Numbness in the fingers and toes

Causes of Electrolyte Imbalance

The water comprises over half of the adult body’s mass. Most of the water in the body surface is found in blood and bodily fluids in and around blood cells. Electrolytes are also transported throughout the body by the kidneys, liver, and other organs. Electrolytes are essential for health and well-being, so many changes to the body’s function or organs can cause imbalances & caught by healthcare professional.

A variety of factors cause electrolyte imbalance.

• Electrolyte poor dietary intake
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Medicines (examples: diuretics, laxatives and other medications)
• Medical conditions (standards: kidney function or disease, kidney failure, diabetes, congestive cardiac failure and congestive heart failure, etc.)
• Hypovolemia or Hypervolemia

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Electrolyte Imbalance Care Plan

Let’s now review some nursing care plans you can use to treat patients with typical electrolyte balances. These electrolyte imbalance care plan do not cover all conditions or are individualized for each patient, but they can give you an idea of what to do.

It is also important to remember that these nursing care plans do not include lab values, as each laboratory has standard and abnormal values in nursing homes. Refer to your institution’s laboratory values, norms, and protocol when determining how to communicate electrolyte balances to healthcare providers in clinical sites.

Hypernatremia Risk Care Plan

Hypernatremia is a condition in which the sodium normal level in the body becomes abnormally high. It can lead to severe issues, including seizures and confusion.

Electrolyte Imbalance Nursing Diagnosis: Hypernatremia Risk

Potentially Related to

• Dehydration or fluid overload
• Severe diarrhea
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Diabetes poorly controlled
• Certain medications
• Kidney disease
• Diabetes insipidus
• Extensive burns

Evidenced By

• Extreme thirst
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Nausea
• Lethargy
• Confusion
• Muscle spasms or twitching
• Seizures
• Coma
• Mucous membranes

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Expected Outcomes

• The IV fluid balance will be average.
• The patient will maintain normal serum Sodium and intravascular fluid volume excess levels.
• The patient’s levels of electrolytes will be expected.
• The heart rate and blood pressure are both average.
• The patient will verbally express an understanding of the causes of hypernatremia and how to manage the condition.
• The patient is free from neuromuscular irritation.

Nursing Care Plans Related to Electrolyte Imbalance

Let’s now review some nursing care plans you can use to treat patients with standard electrolyte balances. These nursing care plans do not cover all conditions or are individualized for each patients at risk. Still, they can give you an idea of what to do. Hybrid practical nursing program also help you to give the proper learning of electrolyte imbalance nursing diagnosis for nursing education.

It is also important to remember that these electrolyte imbalance care plan do not include lab values, as each laboratory has its own set of normal and abnormal values. Refer to your hydration status and institution’s laboratory values norms and protocol when determining how to notify the healthcare provider of electrolyte balances.

Nursing Assessment of Hypernatremia Risk

1. Test your sodium levels.
2. Ask the patient whether they are experiencing extreme thirst.
3. Check for confusion that has just started.
4. Monitor intravenous fluid intakes and fluid outputs as fluid status.

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