Fluids and Electrolytes Masterclass

Nephrology

Video course

by Joel Topf, MD

If you are a clinician working in internal medicine, you are likely taking care of patients with fluid and electrolyte problems on a daily basis. This course teaches you the nuts and bolts of fluid and electrolyte management. You'll discover what it really means when sodium or potassium levels are abnormal, learn how to diagnose and treat imbalances, and get expert tips for prescribing diuretics.

3h 26m

9 Quizzes

5 CME

What’s in it for you?

Master the most important skills

Learn the skills experts say you need to master in order to become a great clinician.

Learn any skill in under 5 hours

All our award-winning courses can be completed in less than 5 hours. Most take less than 4!

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After completing this course, you will be able to

Differentiate between dextrose, crystalloids, and plasma expanders
Optimize your patients’ diuretic regimen
Identify the cause of your patient’s hyponatremia and hypernatremia and correct it
Differentiate between the different causes of hypokalemia and hyperkalemia, and apply the most effective measures to correct them
Calculate total body water, plus identify what the different body compartments are and what makes water move between them

What's inside

Free

Chapter 1

Body water

Learn how to calculate total body water, plus what the different body compartments are and what makes water move between them. This chapter lays the foundations for the course.

3 lessons

11m

Body water intro

Moles, osmoles, and movement

Where the water is

Body water quiz

Quiz

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Chapter 2

IV fluids

Learn when to use what type of IV fluid. After attending this chapter, you will know the difference between and advantages of dextrose, crystalloids, and plasma expanders.

5 lessons

18m

IV fluids intro

What are IV fluids good for?

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Chapter 3

Diuretics

In this chapter you will learn to optimize your patients’ diuretic regimen, the advantages and disadvantages of each diuretic, what to do if they don’t work, and much more.

6 lessons

25m

Diuretics intro

The philosophy of diuretics

Loop diuretics

Thiazide diuretics

Acetazolamide and the potassium-sparing diuretics

Diuretic resistence

Diuretics quiz

Quiz

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Chapter 4

Regulation of volume and water

Here, you will learn how the body regulates water and sodium and why tonicity is more important than osmolality. This chapter lays the foundation for the chapters that follow.

3 lessons

11m

Regulation of volume and water intro

RAAS, ADH, and thirst

Osmolality vs. tonicity

Regulation of volume and water quiz

Quiz

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Chapter 5

Hyponatremia

Learn how to find the cause of your patient’s hyponatremia and how to correct it. What’s false hyponatremia? How do you correct for glucose? This chapter answers these questions and many more.

10 lessons

47m

Hyponatremia intro

False hyponatremia

True hyponatremia

Tea and toast syndrome

ADH, volume, and hyponatremia

Euvolemic hyponatremia

Diagnosis and overview

Treatment of asymptomatic hyponatremia part 1

Treatment of asymptomatic hyponatremia part 2

Treatment of acute symptomatic hyponatremia

Hyponatremia quiz

Quiz

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Chapter 6

Hypernatremia

Learn to diagnose, cure, and prevent this dangerous problem. After attending these lessons, you will know more about hypernatremia than 95% of your colleagues.

6 lessons

24m

Hypernatremia intro

Defense against increases in osmolality

Why isn't the patient drinking?

Gain of sodium

Treatment of hypernatremia

Polyuria, polydipsia

Hypernatremia quiz

Quiz

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Chapter 7

Potassium

Learn how to control and analyze this potentially life-threatening ion like a pro, how potassium is regulated, and what causes its shift into the extracellular space.

4 lessons

15m

Potassium intro

Intracellular cation

Regulation: intake and cellular distribution

Regulation: excretion

Potassium quiz

Quiz

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Chapter 8

Hypokalemia

Differentiate between the different causes of hypokalemia, and learn the most effective measures to correct it and what to watch out for.

11 lessons

37m

Hypokalemia intro

Introduction and decreased intake

Intracellular shift

Increased potassium losses

Increased renal losses: secondary hyperaldosteronism

Increased renal losses: vomiting

Increased renal losses: primary hyperaldosteronism

Primary hyperaldosteronism: hyperaldosteronism without the aldosterone

Unreabsorbable anions

Other causes of increased renal potassium loss

Symptoms and treatment

Hypokalemia quiz

Quiz

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Chapter 9

Hyperkalemia

This is a life-threatening condition. Learn what therapies work and don’t work with hyperkalemia (that everyone’s using). What are the ECG changes to watch out for?

6 lessons

21m

Hyperkalemia intro

Introduction and increased intake

Extracellular shift

Decreased excretion

Pseudohyperkalemia

Hyperkalemia treatment

Hyperkalemia quiz

Quiz

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Teachers of this course

Joel Topf, MD

Board certified nephrologist. Author of several medical textbooks. Social media aficionado.

Teacher Profile

Medmastery

Nora Drenaline

Nephrology

Claim your certificate

All members receive a certificate for completing this course. For Pro members, the certificate comes with 5 CME credits.

CME accredited

All our courses and workshops are fully CME accredited. We provide USA AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and European CME credits (ECMEC®s). Pro members can download their CME certificates upon successful completion of activities. Want to transfer these credits to your national system? No problem.

Learn how this works

CME at its best

Award-winning teaching method

Winner of the Comenius EduMedia Medal
For outstanding digital education—Berlin 2013
Highly commended by the British Medical Association
Awarded in the digital category of the BMA Book Awards—London 2017
Winner of the Comenius EduMedia Seal
For outstanding digital education—Berlin 2017
Internationally accredited
CME accredited in the USA and EU with mutual recognition agreements in most other countries.
Trusted institutional partner
Used by residency programs and universities around the world to train their clinicians and students.
Top-rated by our learners
Rated excellent by hundreds of users on Trustpilot, an independent reviewing platform.

What’s in it for you?

Master the most important skills

Learn any skill in under 5 hours

Save time and money

After completing this course, you will be able to

What's inside

Body water

IV fluids

Diuretics

Regulation of volume and water

Hyponatremia

Hypernatremia

Potassium

Hypokalemia

Hyperkalemia

Claim your certificate

CME accredited

Winner of the Comenius EduMedia Medal

Highly commended by the British Medical Association

Winner of the Comenius EduMedia Seal

Internationally accredited

Trusted institutional partner

Top-rated by our learners