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ELECTROLYTE PROFILE (Sodium,Potassium,Chloride)
Electrolytes are minerals that are found in body tissues and blood in the form of dissolved salts. As electrically charged particles, electrolytes help move nutrients into and wastes out of the body's cells, maintain a healthy water balance, and help stabilize the body's acid/base (pH) level. The electrolyte panel measures the blood levels of the main electrolytes in the body: · Sodium—most of the body's sodium is found in the fluid outside of the body's cells, where it helps to regulate the amount of water in the body.
· Potassium—this electrolyte is found mainly inside the body's cells. A small but vital amount of potassium is found in the plasma, the liquid portion of the blood. Potassium plays an important role in regulating muscle contraction. Monitoring potassium is important as small changes in the potassium level can affect the heart's rhythm and ability to contract.
· Chloride—this electrolyte moves in and out of the cells to help maintain electrical neutrality (concentrations of positively charged cations and negatively charged anions must be equal) and its level usually mirrors that of sodium. Due to its close association with sodium, chloride also helps to regulate the distribution of water in the body
