Clinical biochemistry — blood tests, electrolytes

What you'll learn

1. 1

   Imagine your blood is like a swimming pool — it needs the right balance of salts (electrolytes) to keep everything working.

2. 2

   Here's a simple diagram showing the main electrolytes in your blood — sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), and chloride (Cl⁻).

3. 3

   Let's read a blood test result together. Patient: Na⁺ = 140 mmol/L, K⁺ = 4.0 mmol/L, Cl⁻ = 105 mmol/L.

4. 4

   A patient has sodium = 130 mmol/L. Is this normal?

5. 5

   Drag the potassium level to the correct place on this scale. Normal range: 3.5–5.0 mmol/L. Target: 4.5 mmol/L.

6. 6

   Another result: Na⁺ = 150 mmol/L. What does this mean?

7. 7

   If potassium is 2.8 mmol/L (normal 3.5–5.0), what should you report?