Electrolytes and acid–base: common fluid and electrolyte disorders

Disturbances of fluid and electrolyte balance are common in clinical practice, especially in a hospital setting, and may be iatrogenic or compounded by inappropriate medical or surgical treatment. Their recognition and appropriate management are not necessarily difficult or complex; while specific formulae and standard protocols can be helpful at the bedside, there is no substitute for an understanding, and application, of some basic principles of renal and endocrine physiology, which is what this article tries to provide.