Canadian Medical Guide > Diseases > Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases > Metabolic Diseases > Water-Electrolyte Imbalance Terms and Definitions

Water-Electrolyte Imbalance

	Dehydration - The condition that results from excessive loss of water from a living organism.
	Hyperkalemia - Abnormally high potassium concentration in the blood, most often due to defective renal excretion. It is characterized clinically by electrocardiographic abnormalities (elevated T waves and depressed P waves, and eventually by atrial asystole). In severe cases, weakness and flaccid paralysis may occur. (Dorland, 27th ed)
	Hypernatremia - Excessive amount of sodium in the blood. (Dorland, 27th ed)
	Hypokalemia - Abnormally low potassium concentration in the blood. It may result from potassium loss by renal secretion or by the gastrointestinal route, as by vomiting or diarrhea. It may be manifested clinically by neuromuscular disorders ranging from weakness to paralysis, by electrocardiographic abnormalities (depression of the T wave and elevation of the U wave), by renal disease, and by gastrointestinal disorders. (Dorland, 27th ed)
	Hyponatremia - Deficiency of sodium in the blood; salt depletion. (Dorland, 27th ed)
	Water Intoxication - A condition resulting from the excessive retention of water with sodium depletion.

Water-Electrolyte Imbalance Medical Definitions and Terms