Biomaterial Database

Fluid and electrolyte management in the very low birth weight neonate. 2006

J Bhatia

Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA. jatindeb@mail.mcg.edu

Fluid and electrolyte management in the very low birth weight infant is critical to survival. The amount of fluid present in the plasma, interstitial fluid, and cellular fluid changes throughout the fetal and neonatal period, presenting a challenging situation. One of the many factors influencing fluid requirements is the insensible water loss by mechanisms such as evaporation. Low birth weight infants are especially susceptible to this due to their large body surface area and immature skin, often resulting in hypernatremia and the complications associated with it. However, some infants may experience hyperkalemia, hyperglycemia, and/or hyponatremia, resulting in various other complications. Careful monitoring is essential in deciding how to manage these infants. This article aims to discuss the management of fluid and electrolytes in very low birth weight infants and address ways to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with the imbalances in fluid and electrolytes seen in this population.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D008991	Monitoring, Physiologic	The continuous measurement of physiological processes, blood pressure, heart rate, renal output, reflexes, respiration, etc., in a patient or experimental animal; includes pharmacologic monitoring, the measurement of administered drugs or their metabolites in the blood, tissues, or urine.	Patient Monitoring,Monitoring, Physiological,Physiologic Monitoring,Monitoring, Patient,Physiological Monitoring
D009751	Nutritional Requirements	The amounts of various substances in food needed by an organism to sustain healthy life.	Dietary Requirements,Nutrition Requirements,Dietary Requirement,Nutrition Requirement,Nutritional Requirement,Requirement, Dietary,Requirement, Nutrition,Requirement, Nutritional,Requirements, Dietary,Requirements, Nutrition,Requirements, Nutritional
D001826	Body Fluids	Liquid components of living organisms.	Body Fluid,Fluid, Body,Fluids, Body
D004573	Electrolytes	Substances that dissociate into two or more ions, to some extent, in water. Solutions of electrolytes thus conduct an electric current and can be decomposed by it (ELECTROLYSIS). (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)	Electrolyte
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014870	Water Loss, Insensible	Loss of water by diffusion through the skin and by evaporation from the respiratory tract.	Insensible Water Loss,Insensible Water Losses
D014882	Water-Electrolyte Balance	The balance of fluid in the BODY FLUID COMPARTMENTS; total BODY WATER; BLOOD VOLUME; EXTRACELLULAR SPACE; INTRACELLULAR SPACE, maintained by processes in the body that regulate the intake and excretion of WATER and ELECTROLYTES, particularly SODIUM and POTASSIUM.	Fluid Balance,Electrolyte Balance,Balance, Electrolyte,Balance, Fluid,Balance, Water-Electrolyte,Water Electrolyte Balance
D014883	Water-Electrolyte Imbalance	Disturbances in the body's WATER-ELECTROLYTE BALANCE.	Imbalance, Water-Electrolyte,Imbalances, Water-Electrolyte,Water Electrolyte Imbalance,Water-Electrolyte Imbalances
D019102	Infant, Very Low Birth Weight	An infant whose weight at birth is less than 1500 grams (3.3 lbs), regardless of gestational age.	Very Low Birth Weight,Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infant,Infant, Very-Low-Birth-Weight,Infants, Very-Low-Birth-Weight,Very Low Birth Weight Infant,Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants