Emergency medicine clinics of North America
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Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS) is an underrecognized diabetic emergency with high morbidity and mortality. Many features of HHS overlap with those of diabetic ketoacidosis but key differentiators for HHS are serum osmolality greater than 320 mOsm/kg, lack of metabolic acidosis, and minimal to no presence of ketones. HHS is often triggered by an underlying illness-most commonly infection but may also be triggered by stroke, acute coronary syndrome, and other acute illnesses. Treatment guidelines recommend aggressive volume-repletion of osmotic losses in addition to insulin therapy, plus treatment of the underlying cause.
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This review will discuss the importance and homeostasis of calcium and magnesium in the human body, as well as the implications and treatment of disordered calcium and magnesium. With calcium and magnesium often considered to be the "forgotten cations" in medicine, it is our hope that this review will lead providers to evaluate for and effectively manage these electrolyte disorders in the emergency department.
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Sodium imbalances are a common occurrence in the emergency department. Although recognition and diagnosis are relatively straightforward, discovering the cause and management should be approached systematically. ⋯ Treatment rapidity depends on severity of symptoms with the most rapid treatment occurring in only the severely symptomatic. Overcorrection has dire consequences and must be approached in a careful and systematic fashion in order to prevent these devastating consequences.
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Metabolic acid-base disturbances are frequently encountered in the emergency department, and many of these patients are critically ill. In the evaluation of patients with these maladies, it is important for the emergency clinician to determine the cause, which can usually be elicited from a thorough history and physical examination. There are several mnemonics that can be used to form an appropriate list of potential causes. Most of the time, the management of these patients requires no specific treatment of the acid-base status but, rather, requires treatment of the underlying disorder that is causing the acid-base disturbance.
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Abnormalities in serum potassium are commonly encountered in patients presenting to the emergency department. A variety of acute and chronic causes can lead to life-threatening illness in both hyperkalemia and hypokalemia. Here we summarize the relevant causes, risks, and treatment options for these frequently encountered disorders.