[Electrolyte metabolism and emergency]

In outlining the pathology of various electrolyte metabolism abnormalities in cancer patients we considered the main clinical points between pathologies and emergency treatment. In regard to sodium (Na+) metabolism, one pathologic state that requires our attention is hypernatremia. Hypernatremia is accompanied with dehydration and is due to water loss, vomiting, diarrhea and renal insufficiency. One of the major causes of this condition is lack of the antidiuretic hormone due to intracranial metastasis of the tumor. When hypernatremia becomes severe, it is accompanied with circulatory failure, muscular asthenia, disorientation, convulsions, coma and other cerebral symptoms. Treatment consists of replenishing the water content by infusion of electrolyte solutions which should be carefully conducted after complete diagnose of the severity of the patient's pathological condition. Hyponatremia, like sick cell syndrome, is observed relatively frequently in cancer patients. When the serum Na level falls markedly, it induces cerebral edema and causes disorders of consciousness. The major treatment consists of providing both water and sodium supplements. Hyperkalemia is observed at the time of renal insufficiency, tissue lesions, vomiting, and diarrhea. When serum potassium level rises, it causes bradycardia, ventricular fibrillation, or cardiac arrest. It is important to diagnostically apprehend the severity of this condition using EKG and determining the serum K1+ level. For emergency treatment injection of calcium gluconate is very effective. Hypokalemia is often manifested by the loss of intestinal fluids due to diarrhea or during administration of diuretic agents. Clinical symptoms include neural paralysis but emergencies occur relatively infrequently. K C1 injections are used in treating this condition. Hypercalcemia is manifested in cancer patients during hyperparathyroidism. Its clinical symptoms include lassitude, tachycardia, nausea, vomiting, and renal dys-function, leading to neural symptoms in severe cases. The main treatment consists of injection of physiological saline solution and administration of calcitonin, mithramycin. Hypocalemia is manifested during renal insufficiency, lack of vitamin D, and hypothyroidism. In classic cases it causes tetanic spasms. Injection of calcium is an effective treatment but since during tetanic spasms alcalosis may easily occur, treatment should only be provided after obtaining a complete understanding of the patient's condition. The pathological conditions described above can not be said to specific to cancer but it should be kept in mind that one of their main causative factors is the involvement of mechanism which produces ectopic hormones from cancerous tissues.