Approach to fluid and electrolyte disorders and acid-base problems.

Employing a systematic approach to the interpretation of serum chemistries is the most effective way to ensure abnormalities are detected and correctly interpreted. This article reviews a series of steps that can be used in both the outpatient and inpatient settings. These steps will help to ensure the clinician identifies not only overt abnormalities but also subtle disturbances that may lay hidden in a routine set of serum chemistry values.